Mon Colle Knights: A Shining New Beginning
by magiblue11
Summary: Diamond's home is attacked by masked figures causing her, Hermes (robot companion) and her mother to flee through her latest invention the Mon Gate where they get separated and sent to different realms. Upon arrival, Diamond finds allies and enemies and discovers she has magical powers and is destined to find the remaining guardians to save both worlds.
1. Chapter 1: Otaku Heroine

Mon Colle Knights: Rise of the Guardians

Episode 1: A Shining New Beginning

The Monworld Symbol began to appear on the screen before the sides of the circle had split sides to reveal six different realms of Monworld as each highlighted various creatures that resided in each respected area.

Narrator: Monworld-A world unlike anything you've seen before not even in your dreams. It's a wondrous place full of monsters, magic and mystery-The world is separated into six realms: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light (Good/Holy), Dark (Evil)-In each of these realms there resided Six Dragons and Six Angels that protected and looked after the realms.

The six screens changed showing the Six Angels and Dragons of Monworlds in action (Clips were shown from various episodes they appeared in even the dragons in their final forms in the series finale) as the panels glowed of the respected elemental colors. Then they changed to show six shadowy figures, each illuminating the elemental power of the respected realms with the golden dragon floating above them along with the six angels that glowed of their respected realm's element that almost circled around the Guardians.

Narrator: But there is another group of protectors that ensure the peace of the realms as well-The Guardians. A group of warriors that were bestowed the very element of the realm given to them by the Golden Dragon to help aid the Angels and Dragons in their time of need. Sure-there was the Doomsday Dragon and the Redda Incident that was a HUGE ordeal, but I think a greater threat awaits for the Chosen Guardians to come out of hiding to fulfill their duty as protectors of Monworld. There happens to be old stories about them even about an Ancient Legend that foretells of a Great Evil that would shake the core of the worlds-When this Great Evil will reveal itself? Nobody knows, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared and so a Guardian is chosen by the Golden Dragon himself to represent each realm to defen against the upcoming evil...Although...not all the Guardians are chosen from just their world, oh no, no...As fate would have it...a new guardian was about to get chosen even if they don't know it themselves.

Our story takes place in Osaka, Japan-at a fancy japanese mansion that wasn't too far from a research facility. It was your traditional-looking housing you see in Anime of fancy, rich folk that live in such an estate and/or sometimes passed down from family to family. The sign outside the house read "Akimoto" and within the estate there lived a 14 year old girl with medium pink hair as her messy bangs almost got in front of her bright blue eyes. She wore a T-shirt that had a stunning dragon design on it and summer mid-leg short pants with short socks on her feet while they were crossed at the moment as she was playing one of her favorite RPG video games on her PS4 (Ni No Kuni: Revanant Kingdom) as she was playing one of the Bonus Dungeon DLC as she was facing the final boss. Her attention focused on the screen, eyes observing the final boss's movements and attacks so Evan and his team don't get damaged too much (Powerful attacks can drain so much HP from characters when fighting against tough opponents like FInal Bosses) as she tried to figure out a way to attack without being struck by the Quake Pillars.

Diamond: Man, Frightmare isn't going to give me a break here.:She was pressing buttons on her controller before she tilted it to the left sightly along with her head.: Come on, Evan-Use Light Pillar!

Narrator: This is Diamond Akimoto-She's just your typical teenage girl. Well not so typical or average-You can say averagish since she's been home-schooled after kindergarden as a child. She is the daughter of world reknowned Hinata Akimoto, studying in Time and Space-Mostly Inter-Dimensions that lie beyond our world. She's also known for her revolutionary inventions such as Compan-Bot (Robotic animal-like creatures the size of a child or hamster size to act as a companion from kids to the elderly!), the Levi-Board (A hover board with safety grips and has extended rope built inside so in case you fall off you can hoist yourself back up while the Auto-drive is activated so to slow down to give the user time to get back on the board), and her latest invention (Although still in the development stages with one successful bag so far)-The Infini-Pack! (Able to store everything you need without putting so much weight in the backpack that would make it look like its about to explode and pour all your belongings onto you!).

Diamond kept smashing the O button as she held down R2 to unleash Light Pillar against the Nightmarish-winged beast she was fighting against in her video game. Evan took the time to summon a magical diagram as powerful blasts of light came bursting out! Striking the creature and lowering its HP down to almost 400, giving Evan and his team the chance to gang up, unleashing their powerful sword strikes and spells against the abomination until-BAM! BAM! BAM! Slow motion to the boss swaying and hitting the ground before victory music was played! A wide grin spread across her face as she leapt up in the air, fist raised up in the air while the other held onto her controller.

Diamond: Yahoooo~! Hahahaha! I did it! I did it! I did it! I did it!:She began to dance about in a jig, but being careful not to drop her controller or get tangled in the cord that connected to the PS4 as she performed a little victory dance.: I finally defeated the final boss of the Nightmare Tome DLC! It took almost two days to beat this side quest! Took almost a day and a half to grind up my characters levels, researched helpful tips even Youtube videos to figure out a strategy to beat Frightmare-Bada bing! BADA BOOM! I finally took him out!

At the sound of her shouts and hollers, her bedroom door slid open to reveal an anthromorphic rabbit robot by the name of Hermes (Picture him as Ikku from RobiHachi, but with different color variation and has retractable legs inside the bottom of his body as he wore a bandana around his held while holding a cloth. He was in the middle of washing the floors outside when he heard the commotion coming from her bedroom to see what was the problem only to find it was just her playing video games when he caught a glimpse of the cutscene on her flat screen television.

Hermes: Do you have to be so loud when you have one of your "Victory Dance" when taking down a final boss?:He had an anime vein on his head as he was annoyed then angry at her antic.: I mean your no Patrick Swayze footloosing it if you want my honest opinion.

She halted her dance midway as it almost looked like she was attempting to pull off the Otterly Sexy (Otter Soiya) pose that Reo and Mabu would switch to into mid-way in the dance.

Diamond: :A sweatdrop formed by the side of her head as she smiled sheepishly at Hermes before placing her right foot back on the ground, carefully placing the controller down.: Haha...sorry Hermes, but you know how I get overexcited when it comes to beating a final boss in a video game. And this one was quite challenging to beat especially when your characters are under Level 100 and need to beef em' up to that level and beyond to take on the monsters, mid-bosses and the Final Boss: Frightmare! He almost had me in his nightmarey grasp!:She placed a hand by her neck as if pretending to be strangled before removing it as she struck the air below her hard before raising it up fast.: Despair Pillars that spiked out of the ground and nearly pierced Evan and Roland while Bracken swung her hammer to bash the crystal in his chest!:She spun around as she held an imaginary hammer, causing her to nearly stumble and fall onto her bottom if she didn't catch her footing on time.: And a powerful NIGHTMARE blast that nearly took out my whole team were it not for my potions and revival items!

Hermes: Yeahhh~Well while I you were "heroically" saving the world from yet another diabolical monster, I've been combating against grime and stains on the wood work out here.:He pointed his arm to the wooden floor outside the house, a glimpse of the zen garden with a koi pond in the distance that sparkled slightly from the sun's rays.:

Diamond: :She walked over carefully to peek outside her room, staring at the wooden floor with a railing connected by the side as she took in the glossiness that reflected from the hardwork Hermes put into washing and polishing it up.: And it's looking great, Hermes, its so shiny and glossy I can see my reflection it!:She lifted her head up to look at her robotic friend.:

Hermes: Heh!:He put his hands on his sides as he puffed his chest abit, feeling quite proud of his work and the shower of compliments he got from his friend. He loved being complimented for a job well done-sometimes a little too much that make him boast.: Of course if I've gone overboard, I'd not only have it shine bright as the very sun-BUT we'd have ourselves our own personal Slippery Ice Rink, minus the ice of course.:He grinned before letting out a snicker as he placed a hand by it to try to suppress it.:

Diamond: And for such hardwork, you deserve a little reward...in fact!:She clapped her hands together before putting them on the side of her face.: We both deserve a well-earned reward! Before I played my video game, I finished reorganizing the library, mopped the floors of the house and combated suds while taking care of the dishes. I'd say delicious crepes are in order while we go out to get some groceries!:Gripping her fist in excitement with tiny sparkles around her as her eyes began to sparkle with her.:

Hermes: Ugghhhh~...I'm a robot, remember Diamond? Robots can't eat human food. ~_~

Diamond: That's alright!:She bopped her fist onto her palm as she just remembered about robotic biology compared to human biology.: Then more for me, but I will get an extra order of carrots so I can make ya your favorite Carrot Oil you adore so much!:She raised a finger as she waved it side by side abit with a glowing smile on her face.:

Hermes eyes widened like saucers as they began to sparkle with joy at the thought of his favorite oil beverage flavored with carrots-Its one of his top favorites, he's only favorite to be exact! He can picture the carrots blended, drained of their natural juices and mixed into the oil while being chilled before being served with a straw for him to drink through-why he can't recall the last time he had carrot-flavored oil, but its been awhile since last month or a few weeks ago to be exact he had Carrot Oil. He'd loved it when Diamond made it her way even though he still finds the way he makes it pretty good, but when Diamond makes it-it makes him feel like he's illuminating from the love put into the drink.

Hermes: Gaspppp~!:He threw the cloth up in the air before jumping up and down.: Yes! Carrot Oil! Carrot Oil! I'm gonna have carrot oil! Hello Vitamin A, K1 and B6 with a huge splash of motor oily goodness! ^_^

Diamond couldn't help, but chuckle to see her friend hopping around her as he was pumped about having Carrot Oil. In fact, Hermes was her only friend in the whole world (Besides online friends and some of the folks in the market) that she can talk to about anything-he's been with her ever since she was a little girl and have been inseparatable since then. After she saved her video game and turned off the tv, she gathered together her belongings and a few grocery bags to bring with her for shopping; She always needed extra bags in case she overloaded on supplies-which was quite often from all the bento boxes and meals she makes for herself and mother.

After gathering what was needed for her Errand Run, she closed the door behind her as she and Hermes headed off as they walked carefully across a Zen Garden filled with a luscious sand yard with a variety of different swirls sketched in the sand while on the other side was a Koi Pond with a miniature temple on a polished rock right next to it. Hermes returned her attention to the path ahead for across the way there lied a facility about 20 feet from where she was-The Research of Dimensions Center also known as Roku Sekai Research Center that studied about other dimensions, mainly on Monworld. The world didn't know about Monworld or its existence because only a few people know and study it. Her mother was one of those brilliant minds that shared the same dream and knowledge as his collegues before her-yet unlike them who have succeeded in traversing the world, she is still researching a safer and efficient way to cross into Monworld without ships. She was creating a gate that would allow one to travel into the world and back to their world using a special transport system, but along with that a special device that would allow one to go between the realms quite easily AND it can compact itself into a convenient travel size for carrying around so you can open a gate anywhere no matter what world or place your in. Diamond and Hermes marched on as they entered the facility, watching scientists passing by with clipboards and notes, discussing various scientific formulas or theories while another showed an odd gizmo to another that the Professor might find intriguing. She passed by as she waved to a few who recognized her and Hermes right off the bat, heading into an elevator before pressing the 5th level button-the floor which her mother was at this moment. Once they got to the 5th floor entitled-Testing Room, the room was as big as a public swimming pool that housed a variety of different gadgets, gizmos and odd-looking robots.

Right in the back of the room, there was an odd-looking gate that had the Monworld symbol ornament on the top with weird handles on its side-It would almost be mistaken for the Stargate if it wasn't meant to be travel packed with a special button hidden in the ornament. Next to the portal gate was a middle aged woman with her magenta hair pinned up in a bun with a cherry blossom hairstick and a pencil to pull out when she needed to write down some notes from improvements to remind herself to get a gallon of milk. She wasn't dressed like the mad scientists you've seen in old school entertainment-she was dressed almost like she could be Washu from Tenchi Universe, except with brighter colors , cherry blossoms stitched into the design and almost look like a super model; Some might even mistake her for Washu herself were it not for having blue eyes than green. This was Hinata Akimoto, Diamond's mother and world reknowned scientist, who at the moment was making adjustments to the Mon Gate as she wrote down notes in one hand while typing on her computer with the other as she checked the energy readings emitting from her project.

Hinata: Hmmmm~...Energy levels seem to be stabalizing...:She hovered her finger over the computer screen for a moment before tapping at one area that caught her eye before mumbling to herself.: Yet the heat within the micro generator seems to be rising, better install a cooling system so it doesn't overheat and explodes-Lord knows what'd happen if it got banged up or mistaken for a coaster for a drink when in compact form.

Oblivious to Hinata, Diamond caught a sight of her mother's deep pink hair from a distance as she carefully ran over with Hermes following suit before coming to a halt just a few feet away from her and the Mon Gate. She couldn't help, but marvel over her mother's recent project that she's been working on for a few months now-Before it was just a blueprint on a napkin, then a prototype was made to create a small portal that was plugged into the outlet and due to the immense power it required for one run-It took out the entire nieghborhood's power! Then there was the time when figuring out how to compact the portal by installing a shrinking chip inside and when activated, nearly shrunk the lab if Hinata didn't press the button again. Yet after trial and error, with some design refiguring to the device, it was near completion because after she figures out the kinks, the next and final step that is the hardest: Experimenting by sending a test dummy to and from the portal to see if it'll be safe for traversing between the worlds without any unusual side effects.

Diamond: Wowwww~...The Mon Gate is really looking great mom. You can give Standford Pines a run for his money for creating an Interdimensional Gate.

Hinata: :She turned around when she heard her daughter's voice, letting out a chuckle when she made a reference to one of her favorite shows.: Hahahaha-true, but unlike him-MY gate won't bring a Dimensional Demon and his buddies to bring a Weird-Ma-Geddon.:She used quote fingers when she said it before placing her pencil down before stepping over to Diamond.: Or HOW TO BUILD A machine using blueprints hidden in a set of books-Nope, the blueprints and notes I got locked away in two of the most important places-My intellect..:She pointed to her brain before pointing a different direction.: And in my top secret safe that's in another safe chained up and hidden behind one of the displays in the house. That way if anyone tried to break in, they wouldn't know where to look.

Diamond: Heh! Yeah...I mean who would even THINK OF looking past a wide variety of old artifacts and old school memorabilia from your youth to look BEHIND THE wall of the display, am I right?:She scuffed before she smiled softly at her mother.: Anyway how's the gate coming along?

Hinata: Diamond, I am proud to say that were almost ready to begin taking the next and final step of ensuring the Mon Gate works-Experimentation!:She raised a finger up proudly with a large grin on her face.: I need to make sure it's safe to travel between worlds AND ensure the device works in the other world so to return here. For that I'll need a set of mannequins, strong rope attached to some sort of rolling rod, some Goodwill clothes and a big bottle of Green Tea Jasmine!

Diamond: Well we can order the mannequins from Amazon to have them delivered by tomorrow along with a rolling rod and rope. As for Goodwill clothes and big bottle of Green Tea Jasmine, I'd be happy to pick that up while I'm out with Hermes getting groceries.

Hinata: WOnderful!:She clapped her hands together with sparkling eyes.: We'll commemorate my near success with a delicious dinner! I'll whip up some of my famous Kapow Teriyaki Chicken with the sticky rice, potstickers, miso soup, a nice crunchy salad with plenty of croutons and Ceasar dressing...And let's see...what would be the cherry on top?:She thought for a moment as she wondered what kind of dessert would complete the star course.:

Diamond: :She thought for a moment before a light bulb shined above her before snapping her fingers.: Oh! I know! What about a strawberry shortcake! The one from Umeda! THey have the best cakes!

Hermes: But isn't Umeda reallly pricy!?:He looked over at Diamond and Hinata with a shocked expression on his robotic face.: I mean one cake alone is like...3,000 yen!

Hinata: Hermes, Hermes, Hermes...it's fine.:She waved her hand slyfully at him before placing her hands on her hips.: I won't let Diamond pay that much out of her wallet-I'll lend you the money to buy the cake along with the tea and clothes.:She turned to her before reaching into her pocket as she took out a triple fold wallet (One that had a zipper on the outside to put your keys or change in while the main base held money and cards.), opening it up before taking out a few thousand yen bills to give to Diamond before placing two more in her palm.: Here you are and treat yourself to something nice Diamond with the extra bills-Tomorrow is your birthday after all so consider it an early Birthday treat.

Diamond: :She looked at the money before carefully placing it in her pocket.: Woah...Thanks, mom.:She gives her a big hug as she felt her arms wrap around her like they were the wings of a dove embracing its newborn chick.:

Hinata: And be careful when your out today, okay? I always worry when my baby goes out even when you run errands. Sighhh~I know it should be me doing all the "Mom Stuff" more than I should be doing than letting my daughter do the workload. Makes me feel like I'm the lazy one while my daughter's been my caretaker.

Diamond: Mom, you don't have to say that. Like I said a hundred times-I'm always happy to help out even when you have your burnouts or when your wrapped in your projects.:She pulled away abit to look at her with a sincere smile on her face.: I just want to help the best way I can so you don't have the whole weight of the world on your shoulders, you've been doing a great job taking care of me.

Hinata: :Her smile grew abit more as she looked into her daughter's eyes.: We've been doing a great job taking care of one another ever since your father...:She bit her lip abit as she felt a tremble coming on, but didn't want her daughter to worry.:

Diamond: I know...the day he left on his important business trip, but didn't come back due to...his plane crashing into the Bermuda Triangle it was?:She had question marks above her head as she stared at her in confusion.: o.o?

Hinata: Ummm...that's right!:She nodded quickly to Diamond as she laughed nervously as if hiding something secretive.: The Bermuda Triangle-He was coming back from the Caribbean when his plane flew right into a Bermuda Triangle and all that was recovered was his pass port and ID.

Diamond: :A sweatdrop appeared by the side of her face as she grimanced a little before giving her her best smile plastered on her face.: Right, but you know I still think that dad could be alive somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle because its full of mysteries and strange ship and plane disappearances. I mean wouldn't it be funny if he ended up in Monworld through the Bermuda Triangle?

Hinata: That is one theory I had my dear, but listen...if your father was here right now-He'd want us to keep doing our best to keep moving forward than looking back. To keep his memory alive in our hearts and to always be brave no matter how dangerous things can get-Stand strong against such danger.

Diamond:...Right. Keep moving forward than back, keep his memory alive in our hearts, always be brave no matter how dangerous things get and to stand strong in the face of such danger.

Hinata: But the most important thing he ever said...Never Lose Sight of the Light Within Yourself. Which means never stop believing in yourself or in others because even if the light seems to fade from ones' heart there is somebody there to respark that light with their glow.

Diamond: :She nodded softly to her mother.:

Hinata: Now then...you two better head off, daylight's burning and so is this wonderful weather! It's supposed be sunny with partial clouds out there that you can almost see a Saiyan flying by in the daytime!:She cracked a joke before letting out a chuckle as she patted her daughter in the back.:

Diamond: Hahahaha...if it was Gohan, then that'd be an awesome sight to behold.:She chuckled with her mother before her glowing smile illuminated her inner spirit again before grabbing Hermes hand before dashing off.: We'll catch ya later, mom! And I'll bring home a strawberry crepe for ya!

Hinata: Make it a Blueberry cheesecake crepe with extra whipped cream!:She called out to her with a big grin on her face, waving as she watched her daughter head into the elevator with Hermes before watching it close slowly.: You know how much I love extra cream!...:She waited for the sound of the elevator bell to indicate they were heading down before lowering her hand down before turning to the gate as her gaze became serious.: It'll be the last time we'll have crepes...because I have a strange feeling that something's about to happen soon...


	2. Chapter 2: Peace Before Chaos

Diamond and Hermes headed to the Sumiyoshitaisha Station where she purchased two tickets (Of course who knows if a Companbot needed a ticket, but she always got one for Hermes because she thought of him as a living being than a machine) to catch the train to Osaka. The train wasn't as compact as others were during 10am which was convenient for the duo to find a good seat to sit down on just right next to the window so Diamond can watch the scenary pass her eyes as if she was caught in a Zoetrope watching the illusion come to life and metamorphed with each passing second. It only took a half hour before they arrived in Osaka Station and the moment they stepped outside, their eyes were greeted by the colorful metropolis that lied before them: Every where you turned there was a sea of signs plastered on the outside of buildings that seemed to stretch on for miles no matter which direction you went, the businesses would have ridiculously large mascots that decorated their store front. Diamond had come to Osaka many times, but it never got old because there was always something new to discover with each visit-One time she found Den Den Town (Also known as Nipponbashi) when picking up a new outlet for her mother and took a wrong turn finding the store she usually got them from. But one wrong turned became a life changing discovery when she found the town: Reasonable prices on products, Butler Cafes, and of course the greatest treasure of all...Anime! It was Osaka's version of Akihabara molded together into one large area where you can find just about anything anime-related from manga, collectibles, UFO Claw Catchers, Gachapon machines, video games and for Gundam fans-Gundam models from old to new! She knew exactly how to get there, but it would have to wait until her errands were finished-Work comes first before playing although it won't take long because she knew exactly what she had to get and luckily she had a short grocery list.

Their first step was Central Square Life, a fancy-looking grocery store, to get the best and freshest ingredients for a celebratory dinner-Along with stocking up on pre-made meals; Doesn't hurt to have some pre-made lunches to buy. Diamond figured buying the meals would be good lunches to pack along for an eventful birthday outing with her mother and she didn't even hesistate to buy a pack of cooked chicken and beef skewers, fried chicken, potato chips, Pocky, Meiji Mushrooms, a couple cesear salads and of course-six cups of pudding! Hermes shamefaced at the amount of items that she was adding into the cart-It was so much to not just carry, but to store the frigerated into his cooling compartment!

Hermes: You better not be thinking of storing all that junk in my compartment like the time you made me store Limited Edition Mint Mermaid Ice Cream until I starting jittering and nearly became an ice cream machine on the fritz.:He hopped up and down as he waved his arms up and down with an anime vein on his head.: BECAUSE I can only hold so much, Pudding Junkie!

Diamond: Relax, Hermes-Not all of this is gonna go into your cooling compartment. We'll store em in some thermal bags and have Ikku fly by to take them back to the house.:She smiled softly to him while she was looking at the apples.: Hmmmm~...

Hermes: Ikku the Falcon? Of course...I forgot we had him...I really don't like him-HE always pecks me for no reason.

Diamond: Was it because one time when you were giving him maintenance, he thought you were going to dissect him and he pecked you so hard he nearly made you into Swiss Cheese?:She peered over at him before tilting her head to the right.:

Hermes: :He crossed his arms as he turned his back on her.: I think that was it...YOU TRY TO help another COmpanbot out and he tries to poke holes all over your body... _

Diamond laughed secretly to herself for she felt sorry for her friend, but couldn't help imagine him covered all over from ears to bottom in holes made by Ikku-Hermes the Swiss Rabbit; Now that would bring a chuckle to anyone imagining a robotic rabbit having holes that were made by Woody Woodpecker. After they grabbed a few thermal bags and paid for the groceries, they head outside the store where Diamond tapped a finger on her Digital watch that quickly displayed a holographic screen that almost looked like a computer screen (Except this watch has its own OS that makes Windows look like an infant and WOULDN'T bombard you with updates). She hovered her finger a few feet from the screen before swiping left at the different apps and functions before she halted when she saw the Falcon icon before pressing softly as it shined green, indicating that the program has been activated. In a matter of a few minutes, a silver falcon flew straight down onto a light pole as he let out a mighty caw to gain Diamond's attention before she looked up to see him staring down at them.

Diamond: Ikku! There you are! I got a few bags that need to be delivered home-ASAP!:She placed her hand by the side of her mouth as she called out to him before raising the bags up to him.:

Ikku: :He stared at the bags before leaping up as he began to swoop down, talons extended out as he was about to snatch up a delicious metallic mouse or maybe that annoying Hermes. Yet his objective was the grocery bags before he snatched them right out of her hands before he flew off as he clutched the bags closely so not to lose a grip on them.:

Diamond: Thanks, IKKU! Your a doll! And remember-Don't get yourself distracted by the other falcons in the neighborhood! Save it for after your done-we don't want a repeat of the "Shrimp Flight Delivery Incident".:She waved Ikku off with a big smile on her face.:

Hermes: Alright, we got the groceries out of the way AND there was room for the meals, your pudding and OF COURSE...Snacks and a few drinks you added into the cart while I was looking at "Robotics Digest".:He gave her the stink eye as his right ear was lower as the left was straight up. He didn't like when Diamond would sneak in extra items before checking out.:

Diamond: Come on, Hermes...It's my birthday tomorrow, remember?:She smiled sheepishly at him as she rubbed the back of her head, stroking the ends of her hair softly. She hated when he gave her the stink eye because he knew when she was up to no good or was acting sneaky-he'd point it out right away or after the act was done.: And mom gave me some spending money, plus the snacks aren't all for me. Okay, maybe some of them, but the rest is for me and mom-Even tonight! You never know if there's gonna be a Snack eating contest-ESPECIALLY...Umaibo!:She pulled out a pizza-flavored umaibo from her pocket as her grin grew wider.: Hehehehehe! I bought a few packs of teriyaki burger, pizza, cheese and of course-Takoyaki~...Ohhhh~! Speaking of Takoyaki! We should get some after we pick up the clothes and rope...Hmmmm...:She placed a finger to the side of her face as she thought which place to go for Takoyaki.: Yet that's gonna be tricky on where to go because there's just so many around here...

Hermes tried to keep his left eye from twitching due to Diamond's indecisiveness on trying to figure out where to get Takoyaki from because to him it would seem that no matter what stand or restaurant you went to, the takoyaki is the same fried ball of dough packed with octopus, sauce, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onion; The difference was how each place presented, prepped and made the delectable orbs of seafoodiness. After a quick stop to Good Purchase Museum Higashi Osaka Store (Quite a mouthful for a thrift store-am I right?) to get some clothes and fine rope (And it's cotton~!), it was time for an afternoon of fun and the first stop is lunch! She decided on getting Takoyaki from Kougaryu because it was one of the most popular of the Takoyaki restaurants around and has been featured on tv shows and local magazines, plus it cost 300-500 yen which was a good deal! Then they headed off to some of the local shops-mostly revolving around anime and manga of course, Diamond landed on taking a crack at a few gachapon machines to see what kind of figures she'd get from some of her favorite series-She'd always pack her wallet with plenty of yen coins whenever she came by a gachapon machine (THey can be pretty addicting even when you want to get the figure you want, but you keep getting a duplicate). Luckily she only got two duplicates of Pikachu on a Surfboard while she got a super rare figure from her favorite Trading Card Game-Monster Collection! She got a super rare monster known as Saint Star Dragon! Getting a super rare figure is considered a sign of good luck in the Otaku community and the Saint Star Dragon is said to be the elusive in the Monster Collection Gachapon because many fans have tried to get one, but kept getting one of the other dragons and creatures.

After spending half of her cash on gachapon, she headed to one of the arcades playing at the UFO Claw Machines-there was a wide variety of ways to win prizes from how the game is set up: You can try to get a bingo card and compare it to the board and if you got BINGO-You get any prize in the arcade! Then there was the Lifty game where you had to lift the prize off a tag in order to get it into the slot below, another was your typical claw machine you'd see in Round1 where you try to stab, lift or push the prize down in order to win it. There were so many to always choose from, but so little time to do them all! Diamond always played some of the machines she knew very well or loved to try her hand at a few of the challenging ones depending on the prize she was aiming for. At the moment she just played a few random games to try to win a prize she knew very well from the series, but sometimes ended up disappointed when it wouldn't fall right in or turned to the side with no way to push or lift it up. In the end, she won a Cinnamonroll Rabbit Plush and a nendoroid figure from a couple of the machines that turned that frown upside down.

The next stop on their endless fun-filled afternoon was at Animate, Diamond was reading one of the latest manga volumes of "The Time I was Reincarnated As A Slime" while Hermes was holding a few bags full of merchandise she bought, gritting his metallic teeth at the weight of the newest items they had in stock! This store was always her most favorite to visit because she looked forward to finding new merchandise for her favorite anime, getting the latest new volumes of her manga (Although she has a TON on her Kindle to save up room at home), and of course the most out of her splurge is Monster Collection Cards! After she was done browsing and shopping in the store, she opened up a bunch of packs of her card series to see what new monsters she gained-she didn't mind if she had duplicates-that'd mean she'd have them as back ups should anything happen to the originals. She saw the usual ones to a few new ones from the newest series "Elemental Guardians" where she got a few new characters featuring guardians of the respected realms even the Guardian of Light who wore an angelic, yet stylish guardian outfit that made her look majestic and divine especially with the wings on her back; The strange thing about the card is that her face was hidden by a veil to hide her identity.

Diamond: Woahhhh~...the new Elemental Guardians series is incredible! I got all the guardian cards even this one..."Guardian of Light-?"...Ha...she doesn't have a name? Maybe a misprint?:She lifted the card up as she tilted it in the sun's light thinking that it was a holographic that'll reveal the name in the light.:

Hermes: Maybe they couldn't figure out a name to befit a Goddess-like warrior or didn't want to overuse names like Gabriel, Angela, Angel or Dina...:He shrugged as he looked over at her by the side of the bench.: I mean~! Whoever's in charge of naming monsters could at least give her a name like "Diana The Divine" or some cheesy heavenly name!

Diamond: Maybe its one of those new digital trading cards with a special chip embedded deep within the paper that reveals the name once you get all the cards in the series...I mean, I love it-but how exciting would it be once you complete a set it'll reveal its true name!:She turned to Hermes as she hopped abit on the bench, feeling the excitment like a bottle of soda being shaken up and ready to explode with fizzy goodness!:

Hermes: Yeahhh~Waste more money just to find a super rare monster's name that'll make it Ultra Rare after getting all the cards in the series. It's just a scam like somebody selling you a hair gel that'll change your hair color depending on your mood, then later on you get all mixy washy of so many colors you nearly look like a crayon box!:He raised his hands up in the air before he heard Diamond let out a laugh.:

Diamond: Hahahahahhah! That's a good one, Hermes.:She tried to compress her giggles, but had to cover her mouth with her other hand in order to decrease the laughter.:

Hermes: :He had a sweatdrop beside his head as he let out a long sigh.: Sighhhhh~...By the way we should be heading back soon. How's about we stop by and get those crepes to bring back home?

Diamond: Oh right! Mom said she wanted...let's see...:She thought carefully while she placed her cards away in her bag.: Ah! I remember! It was Blueberry cheesecake crepe with extra whipped cream! Mom's favorite!:She got up with her fists clenched close to her sides as she was getting pumped to grab some crepes.: Okay, Hermes! TO the Crepe Stand!:She swung her right arm before point to the sky.:

Hermes: I think the Crepes are this way...:He pointed toward his left as he pointed out where he was pointing.:

Diamond: Right...that way...:She looked to where he was pointing before letting out a sheepish chuckle.:

As they went off to look for a crepe stand, Hermes looked up at Diamond as he was curious about something for awhile that he wanted to ask Diamond. Yet he didn't know how she would respond to his question or if she ever thought about an answer to the question he had in mind for her but it didn't hurt to see what she thought about it.

Hermes: Hey Diamond. I don't need to pry or anything, but have you ever wonder about what you want to do with your life?

Diamond: Huh? What do you mean, Hermes?:She looked down at him as she steadied her pace.:

Hermes: I mean I know that your finances are set for a lifetime and your mom is a well-known scientist, but have you ever thought about what you want to do with lots of free time on your hands?

Diamond: What I want to do...:She stopped as she thought for a moment.: Well...honestly, Hermes-I actually don't know. I mean there's a lot of things I could be, but its hard to choose what they'd be...Maybe I could be a Beta tester for video games, work at an arcade or the ANimate Store...maybe start my own business if I wanted to...But...I don't know if that's what I want to do with the rest of my life. There's just too much to choose from, plus wouldn't it get boring after awhile?

Hermes: Well...:A few sweatdrops formed on the back of his head as he kept lock on her trying to figure out the right words to help her.: Yeah...but it only gets boring if you find it boring or if it doesn't spark you...But I mean...Okay, let me put it like this. YOU SHOULD think about the THINGS YOU LOVE that make you HAPPY and LOVE TO DO or MAKE YOU happy. Does that make it easier to what I'm telling you?

Diamond: The Things I love that make me happy and love to do or make me happy?...Oh! Like writing poetry or playing video games? Even collecting cards and Anime?

Hermes: Ah!:He anime fell down before getting back up as he put on a straight face.: Okay...Those are good-Well the first one with poetry. I mean you write when your not wrapped up in the newest RPG game-MAYBE YOU can become a Wrtiter and set up your own self-publishing company.

Diamond: :SHe took out a notepad with a pen as she began to write it down.: Writer with own self-publishing company...that'd be pretty good...I'll put it above Beta Video Game Tester and Storyboarder/Script Wriiter.

Hermes: Well...those are pretty good ones to think of-they're practical and realistic.

Diamond: :She placed her notepad away as she returned her attention to Hermes.: They do sound pretty good, but like I said Hermes. I don't know at the moment what I want to be or which path I should take...right now I want to take it a step at a time and enjoy the moment than rushing into things. Although...there is one thing I was thinking about for awhile.

Hermes: What's that?:He tilted his head as he waited for her to tell him what was on her mind.:

Diamond: When my mom completes the Mon Gate, I want us to go travel the world. Ireland, London, Spain, Germany, New Zealand, California...Maybe almost everywhere. Take a whole year or two to see what's out there, take in the culture, try new things, meet people and possibly make new friends...You, me and Mom. I want the three of us to go on this global adventure and make new memories to have until I'm so old you'd had to blend my food.

Hermes: Uhh...Yeahh...memories are a precious thing, but that totally sounds like an amazing idea. You should tell your mother about it, she'd leap at the chance to want to go global hopping from one country to another.

Diamond: Yeah! Maybe we can go to Germany to see one of her colleagues!:Her eyes began to sparkle with bewilderment as she placed her hands together.: OH! Or maybe start at Tokyo first to visit Dr. Hiragi!

Hermes: Let's say we did, but say we didn't...I mean no matter what colleague your mom knows, he's a complete Fruit Loop.

Diamond: But I like that about her colleagues-Besides isn't that calling the kettle black since mom can act a little loopy at times.:She winked at him before waving a finger in a shame-shame manner.:

Hermes: Okay, you got me there. AT LEAST YOUR mom knows how to control her zaniness while the other two are just..."weird".

Soon, they decided upon Dessert Okoku to grab some crepes for the road home: Diamond ordered the Serious Strawberry Crepe, a Mixed Berry Crepe and one blueberry cheesecake with extra cream crepe to go. They were packed nicely in a cute pink bag with a blue bow on the outside to make it look even more cuter, and with crepes in hand-literally her strawberry crepe she was munching on, the duo headed off to take the earliest train home as the sun was waving goodnight to the world below as the moon rose in its place to drape the starlight night upon the sky to signal evening's coming. It didn't take long before they were back in their neighborhood as Diamond was practically skipping down the street singing a silly song.

Diamond: :She sung happily as she skipped merrily.:  
Ohhhh~Were gonna have a feast  
With a sea of rice as far as they eyes can see  
Blanketed with islands of Teriyaki Chicken  
Palm trees made of salad and fresh veggies  
As the sand is soft as bread  
Coconuts filled with little cakes to eat.

Hermes: :He had a sweatdrop by her side as he listened to her lyrics.: Islands made of teriyaki chicken? Wouldn't that be rice or perhaps a Bread base to the isles?

Diamond: The base of the teriyaki chicken isles is a glossy porcelain material underneath all the chicken so if you happen to eat the island, you can break up and sand down the porcelain to make a flashy sail boat out of.

Hermes: Yeah...A Porcelain Sailboat under an entire island of Teriyaki Chicken. Ya know what I said earlier about your mom's zaniness? Well Apple doesn't fall far from the tree with you.

Diamond: :She chuckled at him as she patted his head softly.: But at least I try to keep it on the down low-although I do tend to forget my composure when I geek out. Can't help it ya know? Guess it is all in the genes.

Diamond and Hermes turned a corner down the street before they were just outside their house, but something seemed amist...the front entrance appeared to have been blasted through wth a cannon! There were shards of wood scattered about the entrance way and the path toward the house.

Hermes: Uhhh...BY CHANCE did you or your mother order a cannon and the Amazon guy accidentally set it off outside the gate or did one of your mom's gizmos go haywire...?:He approached the scene carefully as he studied the charred remains of the entrance gate.:

Diamond: I don't think so...not to my knowledge and she only ordered a cannon one time when she needed it for one of her inventions...:She carefully walked toward the destroyed gate as she took small steps while she stepped around the scattered pieces of wood that laid on the ground. A dreadful feeling began to fill up inside her-fear and worry bubbled within her stomach as she felt a terrible feeling rising up. Her mind began to race as various scenarios played in her head upon what could of transpired, yet her main concern in each of those possibilities was the safety of her mother.: Something isn't right, Hermes...I can feel it in my gut and it isn't the crepe. WE HAVE TO see if mom's okay!

Diamond sprinted toward the house like a runner in a walkathon as she headed toward the front door, halting just for a moment when she saw that the entire door was pulled right out! Whoever pulled it off was as strong as an OX or a demon because no human could have the strength to tear a door off, hinges and all, except perhaps a body builder. Diamond raced inside her house as she surveyed each area of the house from the living room, kitchen, wash room and upstairs calling out her mother's name.

Diamond: Mom! Mom! Where are you!?:Her eyes wide as saucer place as her face was pale like a ghost, despair slowly setting inside with each call she made to see if her mother was safe and in good health.: Mom! Answer me!:She opened up her bedroom as she saw her bedroom ramsacked.:

The sheets were thrown onto the ground, bed looked as though a fox attacked a chicken for feathers were bleeding right out of the mattress along with her pillows. Her clothes and materials were scattered across the floor as if somebody was searching for something amongst her belongings, but didn't seem to have found it was looking for. The vanity mirror was shattered as glass filled the right side of the bedroom as Diamond stood in the doorway, hands over her mouth as tears began to fill in her eyes as she felt her body beginning to tremble in fear. Hermes made it up the stairs as he saw Diamond standing outside the doorway to her mother's bedroom as he saw right away that something wasn't right.

Hermes: :He looked at Diamond before he turned to the bedroom before his eyes went buggy upon the sight he was seeing.: Who could of done something like this!?:He carefully "hovered" into the room before turning on the switch as he let out a sigh of relief to see there was nobody in the room. He activated his scanner just in case to ensure the intruder wasn't hiding or waiting to surprise them, but his scanner didn't detect any life in the room.: Okay, the crooks don't seem to be in here nor your mom.:He turned to her before he came over and took her hands in his paws.: It's okay, Diamond. Your mom is probably at her laboratory right this moment with the place locked down should there be any intruders on the ground-especially if it was a Bull who mistook our house for a giant china shop.

Diamond: :She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, mentally she counted to ten to calm herself down before she opened them to stare down at Hermes. Nodding slowly as she felt her fear decreasing slightly, but she worried about her mother's safety-just who could of came into their home and done so much damaged? What were they after?:

Diamond quickly went downstairs to her bedroom as she slided the closet before grabbing a Bokuto sword to arm herself should they run into the intruders who trashed her home. She wasn't going to let herself be defenseless against the attacker and what better than her trusty Bokuto to have on hand. Quickly she hurried off outside the house where Hermes waited for her before they dashed toward the Facility where they saw the power was out and the sound of explosions coming from inside. Bombs! Firecrackers! Or even flash bombs! Whatever weapon the thieves had, they'd had to be extra careful not to be caught in the line of fire-physically and sightfully. They ran straight inside as they saw staff members laying on the ground unconcious after Diamond checked to see they were alright by doing the mirror test on one of the employees. A slight fog covered the surface of the mirror giving Diamond and Hermes a sigh of relief that none of them got killed by the invaders.

Hermes: Oh thank goodness...:He placed a hand on his heart as he felt a weight lift right off their shoulders.: Their all alive...Looks like the thieves didn't decide to off em. Ya know leave no prisoners or witnesses kinda scenario.

Diamond: :She looked closely at them as she noticed that the man's face was almost drained of life.: Their breathing, but look at their faces. Even this guy, he looks like he ate too many lemons, yet his lips aren't puckered after you eat just one.

Hermes: That's right...Wonder if there was a gas leak or the A/C went down and they were so dehydrated they had to get water?:He turned to her as he was boggled by this new development.:

?: Ohhhh~Well, well, well...what have we here? Fresh blood? And a beauty no less too.

At the sound of the unfamiliar, yet creepy voice that startled the two, they turned around to see a strange man in a red mask staring straight at them as he twitched once in awhile before taking a few steps forward toward them. He was dressed in dark robe with a crimson snake that circled around his outfit, raising his hand out-yet it wasn't a hand...it was a dark greenish claw! Wiggling his fingers as he chuckled underneath his mask upon discovery a fresh body to drain the energy from.

?: And very young too...I bet your blood tastes more richer than my previous snacks. One was too bland, the other too spicy, one made my teeth hurt while the other just kept nagging by ear off begging me not to drain him completely of life!:He raised his claws up in a shrug as he rubbed his hands together.: But...young blood...NOW THAT'S THE rich stuff! So pure, so innocent...soooo...delicious...hehehehehahahaahah~!

Diamond: :She took a step back, yet halted as she readied her bokuto raising it up slightly and tilting it to the left to look like she's a samurai ready to fight a rival-if he wasn't some blood sucking creepazoid.: Hahahaha...that's a pretty good vampire expression there..."Sucking Blood from your victims", "One's sweet, bland, sour, and annoying"...Are you into Twilight or Vampire Knight?:Nervous sweatdrops began to form on her head as one drenched down the side of her cheek.: Because I gotta admit...your really taking the role of a blood-crazed vampire very seriously...You must really love to stay in character and when you say suck them...you probably drained their blood with ECMO and left them around to make it look like you drained them...

?: I don't know what Twilight or Vampire Knight is...nor what an ECMO is either. But blood-crazed vampire...quite the compliment my dear, but it won't take you off the menu! Raaaarrrrr!:He flew straight forth at her with claws ready to slash her into ribbons.:

Diamond: Ah!:She dodged to the left as she swung her bokuto right just striking him on the left side of his head causing him to fly across the air and into a nearby trolley cart as it fell right on top of him!:

Hermes: Good swing! 0_0

Diamond: Thanks, it was mostly in the wrist, but I don't think it stunned him! :She stared at Hermes before she ran off with him following in tow.: Come on! We gotta get to the 5th level! Mom's probably there safe and sound!

Hermes: I'll over-ride the elevator in case the lock down initiated!

As they raced to the elevator, the strange creature got back up as he lifted the cart up above his head and threw it to the side. He began to scan the area for any sight of his lost prey before spotting her and Hermes heading toward the elevator.

?: Hehehhehe! YOu can run, but you can't hide!:He began to levitate in the air before taking flight toward them.

Hermes: :Typing the by-pass code into the elevator panel as quickly as he can.: Alright just a couple more digits!

Diamond: :She turned to see the strange creature fly toward them bug-eyed at the sight of him flying in mid-air.: Woahhhh~! I didn't know he could fly! I wonder if he's got jet-packs under that coat to make him do that!

Hermes: Jet packs?!:He turned around as he leaped up with nervous bubbles around him.: Ahhhh~! That doesn't look like jet packs to me because then his cloak would catch fire!:He pressed the final digit before the panel turned green, opening the elevator door for them to enter. He grabbed Diamond's right arm before pulling her right inside as the door began to slide close before the figure nearly got them, but bam! Slammed his face right into the glass, sliding down as the elevator ascending upward and falling onto the ground below as Diamond and Hermes watched on before looking at each other dumb-founded.

Diamond: That had to hurt.

Hermes: He had good form, but his aim and timing needed work. Phewwww...OKAY first the ramsacking and now some fruit loop thinking he's a vampire! Just what is going on here?!:He raised his hands up in the air with an anime vein on his head.: Is there some Cosplay Bandit Flash Mob running around and attacking houses in the middle of the night!?

Diamond: And the way he talked and when he levitated...if it wasn't jet packs...Gasppp~!:She placed her hands on her cheeks as her eyes widened like a clock.: HE MUST OF been telling the truth and he's a real to honest vampire!...And if he wanted a snack, we could of found him some tomato juice or raw meat for him to snack on...raw meat has blood in it. That would suffice him.

Hermes: Focus!:He waved his arms up and down as he hopped about in desperation.: We got us a Class 1 Robbery here! Whoever's orchestrated this must be somebody your mom knows! A shady rival scientific institute that wanted to rob your mom of her research or some A-Team Robbers who wanted to take a crack at robbing a facility in a peaceful neighborhood! And how come there aren't any cops or firefighters arriving on the scene yet?!:He hopped around every direction and in mid air too in a frenzy.: There are lives in danger here!

Diamond: I'm sure their arriving at the scene any moment, but for right now we have to get to the 5th floor and check if Mom's okay. If anything were to happen, each floor would lock down if the main doors got penetrated. So those on the 1st-4th floor must be safe and mom's probably safe on the 5th floor...that's where her research us after all...and right now she's backing up every file and data as we speak.

Diamond was right about that for at this moment Hinata was finishing up uploading every file and data onto a few USB drives to keep on hand, yet she seemed to be flustered and sweaty from running all over the place-from her house to her laboratory as she had two backpacks on the side of her table, one for her and one for her daughter. After she loaded the data, she quickly headed to the panel of the Mon Gate and running toward one of the book shelves as she scanned the titles before finding an old journal between two books along with a copy of Monworld Wonders and Creatures as she slipped that one into Diamond's bag. She opened the journal as it had various drawings of places and creatures, but it had little numbers on the sides that appeared to be coordinates to certain locations. She typed them quickly into the computer, hoping that the coordinates would be applied in the nick of time, yet just as she was typing them in she heard the elevator ding jerking her head in fright as to who would get passed her lock down protocall?! She grabbed a blaster-type gizmo from her bag as she pointed it at the door, but lowered it the moment the door slide open to reveal her daughter and Hermes as she let out a big sigh.

Hinata: Sighhhh~...Diamond!:She placed her blaster away before dashing over to her daughter.:

Diamond: Mom, your okay!:She raced toward her mother before extending her arms out as they embraced each other in a tight hug.: Mmmm~...when I saw the house ramsacked and-and the lab attacked by a Vampire wannabe...I was worried something happened to you and...

Diamond tried her best to express what she was trying to say, but she was talking so fast like a chipmunk it was tricky for Hinata to decrypt, but by the tone of her voice and how shaken she was right now, she knew that she was in shock and was worried deeply for her through the whole fiasco. She held her daughter close like a Mother Bear protecting her cub, stroking her head softly as she shushed gently to help calm her down and slowly felt her heart beat starting to slow down with each stroke and shush she gave to her.

Hinata: Shhh...sh...sh...it's okay...I'm alright, your okay...were both alive and safe now...It's going to be okay, Diamond.

Diamond: Mom...what's going on? Who was that strange man? Is he the one responsible for attacking our home?:She leaned back to look at her mother before wiping a few tears from her eyes.: Why is he doing this?

Hinata: I don't know who he is...but he isn't alone. His friends are on the other levels as we speak. The security cameras caught footage of a group of cloaked men in red masks that began to cause wreckage to each level of the building, attacking the staff and destroying everything in sight...They're after me Diamond. They want the Mon Gate...

Diamond: The Mon Gate? Why do they want it so bad?:She watched as her mother loosened her grip on her before approaching the table, grabbing the backpacks before tossing one toward her which startled her at first when it came right at her, but she caught it with both hands and nearly fell down on her bottom if Hermes didn't catch her from behind.: Wooaahh~!

Hinata: Nice catch.:She smiled softly to her daughter before placing on her backpack, reaching into the side pockets to take out the drives as he came back to them.: Anyway from what I picked up from the audio feedback-they're looking to use the gate as part of some ritual to bring both our worlds together...OR to unlock another realm...but in order to do that...they need the mystical monster items to complete their project...I believe if they use an artificial gate like mine with the items it would stabalize and create a portal to step into the other realm. BUT I won't let them have it...

Diamond: Monster items? What are they?:She was getting flustered, yet confused trying to process what her mother was telling her.: And another realm?

Hinata: I know its a lot to take in, but right now time isn't on our side. I'll explain it all once were in Monworld.:She approached Hermes as she bended down, tapping his chest as a small panel opened up revealing a few usb ports. Inserting the drives into him as she watched his eyes shine abit before spinning like buffer wheels with the percentage numbers in the center.: But first we need to take separate paths in order to throw the pursuers off our trail. The coordinates are already set and the portal should open up in just a few minutes, once it does-we'll step through and I'll grab the portal gate to take with us-I set the timer so it compresses the moment we step through the gate.

Diamond: Wait!?...Separate paths!:She turned around as she extended her arms out in disbelief upon what she was hearing.: YOu mean we won't be together when we arrive?!

Hinata: You'll have Hermes with you to look after you. Don't worry-I packed everything you need in your bag as did I in mine.:She smirked as she turned to her baffled daughter, keeping a cool face in such a desparate situation they found themselves in.: Good thing you stocked up enough for a good size journey, my dear its gonna come quite in handy.

Diamond: Even the Umaibo? Because I made sure to get our fa-wait a minute!? What about testing it out to see if it was safe to pass through!? What if we become spaghetti noodles if its anything like a black hole!? Our bodies shifted and morphed in strange places or turn into something weird!:She ruffled her hair with her hands as she was getting more agitated and worried about what might happen to them, but then a moment of calmness filled her face as she thought of the bright side of the scenarios.: And would it be multicolored in there with streams of colors shifting and molding into lovely designs or if we get some cool outfit change when heading inside...But it's still dangerous!

Hinata: :She got up as she turned to Diamond with determination in her eyes.: Diamond...remember what I told you...Never Lose Sight of the Light Within...Trust the light...trust me...trust yourself...Trust the Mon Gate to get us where we have to go.

At that moment the ground began to quake as the sounds of pounding were coming from the floor below them while screeching and rattling were coming from the elevator as heat began to form on the platform as if a blow torch was being used to break through it. Just as the chaos was settling in, an alarm activated on the computer that signaled Hinata that the portal was ready as she turned to see the Mon Gate beginning to glow as the Monworld Symbol appeared in the swirling vortex. Hermes was finishing uploading the data from the drives just as his eyes changed back to normal the moment Hinata took them out of his ports and closing his panel up.

Hermes: Ah!:He blinked a flew times as he searched all around him in confusion as to what was going on before he was forced to upload the data from Hinata's USB drives.: What's happening!? Why's the ground shaking and what's that horrible noise!:He covered his ears in annoyance as he couldn't take the sound.: It's like a hundred nails on chalk boards trying to play Mozart!

Hinata: Our new friends seem so desperate to meet us, but hate to disappoint-we don't want to meet them. Now come on!:She waved a hand as she pointed toward the door, racing over as she kept her eyes on Diamond and Hermes' pace.:

Diamond: Mom...:She placed her hand on her shoulder trying her best to put on a straight face, but the tears were keeping her from looking calm and collected.:

Hinata: Meet me in the Dune Desert between the Realms of Earth and Light (Holy) at Solaria's Temple...lacing her hand on her opposite shoulder.: I love you...

Once she said those words, she put all her strength in her hand before shoving Diamond's shoulder toward the portal that caused her to be pushed straight into the portal with a blank expression on her face, blinking a few times before realizing that she was being sent right through the portal as she extended her hand out to her mom before disappearing through the portal!

Hermes: Diamond!:He had his hands on her head with tiny panic bubbles around him before he was picked up by Hinata.:

Hinata: Hermes, please watch over my daughter and keep her safe.:She hugged him before throwing him through the portal.:

Hermes: AhhhH~! Hinataaaaaa~...:His voice vanished the moment he passed through the portal.:

It was Hinata's turn to go through the portal before taking one last look at her laboratory, but would it be the last time she'd see her home? Of course it won't be because she would be back with her family soon-Yet just how soon one wonders? But it wouldn't be TOO Soon like you were grabbing a drink from a vending machine soon, but a soon-soon like going on a trip for a few days...but their trip? It would be longer than a few days. She turned toward the gate as she took a few steps back before running straight at the Mon Gate like a bullet out of a gun, extending her hand out as she gripped onto the side while her entire body went through the portal. Her grip held onto the ridge of the portal as it began to shift inward into the portal as it was being sucked in before POOOF~! It was gone...the Mon Gate vanished just as the floor broke free with a behemoth-like man climbing through with a few members on his back while an Ifrit-being broke through the elevator platform with his flames, flying up with the Vampire Demon as they entered the room.

?: NOOOo~! It's gone!:He stomped the ground with his feet as he threw a tantrum to let his prey get away.:

?: This isn't good...boss ain't gonna like this...

?: He may not like that we lost the Professor and her daughter, but he will love that they ended up in the one place that he'd expect them to land in...the fun has only begun my friends...


	3. Chapter 3: A Buggy Situation

Diamond found herself in a swirling blue vortex as she was falling ever softly-well it felt like she was float falling then fast pace falling through the endless stream. Her breathing increased as she eyed the surroundings around her as she saw there was nothing around her that she can grab onto to, but that was the least at her worries for she was keeping her vision set on finding any sign of her mother or Hermes. Yet something caught the corner of her eye as she turned to see a bright light lying just behind her-the end of the vortex perhaps? What lied beyond the light was where she was going to end up for she remembered her mother told her that she'd set coordinates that would take them to different parts of Monworld-But where exactly in Monworld was she going to end up! She passed through the light before tumbling onto the grassy ground, rolling for a bit before coming to a halt as she found herself on her back staring up at a majestic forest that surrounded her from all sides with the blue sky just hanging over head of her.

Diamond: :Taking deep breaths slowly as she turned her head in both directions before returning her attention back to the sky.: Sighhh...I-I'm okay...I'm okay...:Slowly got up before she crossed her legs as she patted herself down including her backpack. She placed her hand on her heart before placing it on the side of her neck to check for a pulse-she was indeed alive.: Phewww...I'm alright, I'm okay...nothing is broken...nothing out of place...or WEIRD-LOOKING either...I'm still human...I think.:She extended her legs out to take a look of them before plopping them on the ground, next she checked her fingers and arms-Normal and last was checking her head when she took out a pocket mirror to check hair, ears, eyes and teeth-Everything was normal.: Phewwww~...:She laid down onto the ground as she felt the comfort of the grass relaxing her due to its softness.: I'm all here...now that I know I'm okay...the next question is...WHERE AM I?

At that moment she heard a familiar scream before she turned to see the same light that she came out of when a figure came rolling through it-It was Hermes! He rolled all the way to the nearest tree and BLAM! Hit head first onto the strong bark before falling onto his back just as the portal vanished behind them and out of sight.

Hermes: ~ Owwwwiieeeee...

Diamond: Hermes!:She scrambled to get herself up before dashing over to his side, helping his friend up with concern spread across her face, but sighed in relief to know that she wasn't alone in this new world.: Are you okay!? I mean that must of been quite the bumpy ride you had, but I'm so happy your here!:She wrapped her arms around her friend as she held him close.:

Hermes: Uhhh...trust me IT WAS NOT fun being thrown into a portal fearing I'd turn into spaghetti noodles or broken down into tiny particles passing through a vortex...0~0'

Diamond: I don't know, I'd thought it was quite a pleasant float through a spiraling dimensional vortex. Although I'd imagine it would of been much fast-paced and accelerating like a roller coaster, but it was almost like floating down a lazy river at a water park.:She released him before standing up as she took in her surroundings, a bright smile grew on her face as she approached one of the flora that towered before her-it looked like a type of Mayflower with little swirls on the side of its stems.: Then I came right out the other side like you and now it appears we find ourselves in a luscious and beautiful forest. I mean, just look at these Mayflowers-but these ones have little spiral stems with little petals on them than the ones I've seen on "Nature's Guide to Wild and Exotic Flora for Dummies".

Hermes: Yeah...It does look lovely, BUT this is Mon-World. MON-WORLD? Monster WORLD? A World full of Monsters!?:He was in chibi form as he raised his arms up and down in a panic before zipping to her.: We don't know what we might run into out here! We may stumble across an exotic flower that seems beautiful, but it's actually a DEADLY Venus Flytrap or a Pitcher Plant that might turn us into plant food! Or a gigantic snack that might eat us in one gulp! Or...OR...:Suddenly his face turned abit green as he covered his mouth, suddenly he wasn't feeling so good as his body began to shake.:

Diamond: Or...or what, Hermes?:She turned to him before she noticed he looked like he was falling ill-Can robots get sick? Maybe he got a strange bug after he exited the portal. She ran to his side, bending down on one knee and a hand on his shoulder.: Hermes? Hermes? Are you okay?

Hermes: I...I...Bllah!:He raised his head up as he spat out a few monster cards up into the air! He coughed abit as he pounded his chest softly.: Cough! Cough!...UGH~...Felt like I had butterflies in my tank or something...

Diamond: :Watching the cards float down before catching them with her hands, bugeyed after she saw Hermes spit them out of his mouth.: More like Monster cards than butterflies, Hermes...I didn't know you could make monster cards.

Hermes: I don't...:He leaned in closely to take a look at the cards in her hands.: Ha...That is very unusual...Wait! IT IS VERY UNUSUAL! Why did I spit out monster cards all of a sudden?! I thought I was gonna crash and reboot, not spew out trading cards! Is there a function in me that's going haywire!?

Diamond: Giant Praying Mantis...Marvel Beetle...Dragonfly...These are bug-type monsters...

Hermes: Great, so there are bugs in this forest? That's cute...So do I got some program that tells me what Insect life lives here or something?

Unknown to Diamond and Hermes, the sky began to darken around them as if storm clouds blocked the sun's light-in reality, three giant bugs approached them as they stared at them in curiousity while they were trying to figure out the presence of the cards.

Diamond: It's pretty useful I'd say. But is it just to insects or does it detect any other animal that lives here? Because you didn't spit out cards that tell what kind of birds, squirrels, chipmunks or even cute rabbits might be living here.:Her eyes sparkled as she imagined the cute forest critters in her mind in chibi form.: Maybe even a Jackalope!

Hermes: Well it's annoying is what it is! IT'S MAKING ME BUGGY!:He raised his hands down by his sides in fists as he stared at Diamond.: Also don't try to stroke my ears right now because it ain't gonna calm my circuits!

DIamond: :Her eyes widen when she raised her head after she got confused to what he said about stroking his ears. Her face suddenly turned pale with blue lines under her eyes, teeth starting to chatter a little fast before raising her finger to point straight.: Ehhhhh~...H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-hermes...I-I'm not the one stroking your ears...'HE' is...

Hermes: He?:He tilted his head before he saw a stick-like claw stroking his right ear right now as he slowly raised his head up to see the Marvel Beetle was the one petting him on the ears. Sweatdrops began to form all around him and began to go down his body as a sign of fear before he gaze around them slowly to see giant insects almost have them cornered!: ...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!:He placed his hands on his face before hovering fast toward Diamond before grabbing her hand.: Runnnnn~!

Diamond: Ahhhhhh~!:She grasped his hand before dashing off like a bullet, dragging Hermes along her mad run as he floated in mid-air due to her holding onto his hand tightly.:

Hermes: Those ain't no cutsey little bugs, that's Battra and his Kaiju buddies IS WHAT THEY ARE!

Diamond: Actually it's more like Megalon, Kamacuras, and MUTO than Battra! Battra's an evil moth-like kaiju who's Mothra's rival!:Tears of fear were flying off her eyes as she was running, yet it was a mix of excitment and fear as she had a nervous smile on her face.: I know right now I'm scared out of my mind to see giant insects, but its so amazing! Our first Monster encounter! It's like in this one anime I saw online when the protagonist arrived in a new world a-:She began to ramble on about the episode.:

Hermes: :Looking back as he saw the giant insects giving chase (for a couple-taking flight) after them as his eyes went buggy.: I hate to interrupt one of your Anime trope theories, but these guys are hot on our tail!

Diamond: I'm going as fast as I can! I've never imagined myself to be outrunning giant bugs!:She looked back at him before at the corner of her eye she saw something ahead that made her come to a screeching halt! Right before her was a giant formation of rocks that surrounded both sides of the clearing she got themselves in.: Uhh...Hermes...I think were trapped...0_0"

Hermes: ~ I...I can see that now that the scenary isn't blurry anymore from the running...:He shook off his dizziness before he looked around before he turned around to see the giant insects starting to close in on them.: And here they come-Ready for the kill!:He struggled free of Diamond's grip as he put on his best brave face, he remembered the promise he made to Hinata and though he was terrified right now-HE Had to do his best to protect her.: Alright, you overgrown house pests! If you want a piece of her, you gotta get through me~!:He raised his right hand up as it shifted into a blow torch-like conptraption before pointing it at the insects.: One more inch and its BBQ for you Buggies!

The bugs looked at one another as they looked at his arm-Was he being serious? Would one little blow torch really scare off such kaiju-sized bugs of their calibur? Hermes kept steady as he kept his pose, he didn't know if this would scare them off or not, but he had to try in order to protect Diamond. Things were looking pretty hairy for them as the giant insects decide to call his bluff before taking another inch closer as Hermes floated back, shaking in fear as he tried to keep his arm steady to initiate the Flame Thrower, but just then a voice called out to them that surprised both parties.:

Gemma's voice: Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright! Gather together in my hand and become an INFERNO! BURST FLARE!

Suddenly a ball of fire flew toward the clearing as it was very close to the giant insects, blinking in confusion at the sudden appearance of the sizzling ball of heat. The GIant Praying Mantis approached it in curiousity before raising a claw up as he poked it...BOOOM! THe ball bursts as a great blue flame exploded from the next explosion that struck the insects as they got sizzled by the attack, letting out a painful cry before flying/running off as they were frightened by the attack! Hermes and Diamond stood there, dumbfounded and confused as to what just transpired before their very eyes.

Diamond: O_O Woahhhhh~...Hermes, that was incredible...I didn't know you could do that!

Hermes: B-b-b-ut I didn't even pull the trigger...and I don't think I'd be capable of making an orb of flames float in midair and explode like that!:He turned to her as he was more confused than she was at the moment.:

Diamond: THen if that wasn't you...then what was th-:Suddenly she was interrupted by a new voice that called out to them.:

Gemma's voice: That would be my Burst Flare that you both just witnessed.

Diamond and Hermes turned to the location of the voice that spoke to them before they saw a silhouette stepping out of the forest before she revealed herself to them. Her blonde hair was tied in a straight high ponytail to keep it out of her face, yet revealed her pointy ears that indicated that she was no mere human-but an Elf. The color on her outfit almost had a certain Tinkerbell feel to it-it even went well with the gauntlets and necklace that she wore to complete the ensemble, and her eyes glistened with mystery and curiousity as she stared at the rescuees that she saved from the clutches of the giant insects.

Gemma: Are you both alright?:She walked carefully toward the riggedy rocks that laid around, she nearly tripped over a few that were crooked and almost lost her composure before regaining her balance. Coughing into her fist to recollect herself while she climbed down carefully to get down onto the ground as she slowly approached them, brushing off the dirt from the rocks from her clothes.:

Diamond: W-w-w-were fine...thank you.:She blushed softly as she began to smile ear to ear, eyes twinkling in wonder as even twinkles surrounded her.: Yo-y-you saved us from being bug food back there.

Hermes: Heh! Ya know, I HAD IT under control before you came to finish the job.:He had a tiny anime vein on his head with arms crossed for he felt his heroic moment was stolen by her.:

Gemma: Ohhh~Was that BEFORE the bugs began to feast on you and your friend if you tried to fire off a tiny flame to drive them off? To them, your little..."thingamob" you were waving wouldn't even startle a Mirror Bug, he'd only find your magic flame to be delectable to drain.

Hermes: Magic flame? IT'S A FLAME thrower! THere's no magic in flame throwers, Lady!:He raised his arms up in protect.:

Diamond: GASPPPPp~!:She placed her hands together as she slided to her.: SO that BALL OF flame that exploded and scared the bugs off was your doing!? Y-y-y-your a magic user! I mean...YOu can use magic!? THAT IS soooo coool~!

Gemma: Uhh...:She placed her left arm across her neck before taking a step back due to Diamond's excitment over her magic.: Well yeah...I'm a mage to be exact...A RED Mage to be specific.:She placed her hands on her hips before puffing up her chest.: And a rarity at that because red mages are very rare amongst mages.

Diamond: A Red Mage...A caster who can use BLACK and White Magic...and that was Black Magic you demonstrated on those bugs...

Gemma: Wowww~That...that is correct...:She looked at her amazed that she knew what a red mage was, it intrigued her.: You know about mages?

Diamond: Of course! Red Mages are only one of three types of Mages in the Final Fantasy Series! Their one of my favorite classes in the franchise!:She placed her fists together near her chest as she wiggled her body abit.: I even got a sticker on one of my notebooks-I think it was either on my poetry notebook or my "Research and Fun Facts Notebook"...its either one...Ah!:She leaned in close to Gemma as she stared closely at her eyes.: Your eyes...their a different color.

Gemma: Ohhh...:She placed a hand on one of her cheeks as she blushed a tiny bit.: Yeah, I was born with two different eye colors. It's a weird condition that happens sometimes.

Hermes: It's known as Heterochromia. It can happen sometimes due to a defect in one of the genes that effects the retina of the eyes upo-:He got caught off when Diamond squealed in delight before he saw her beginning to touch Gemma's ears.:

Diamond: Are these your ears!? Their so...pointy and...and so cute! I'm sorry for touching them, but their just so...so cute!

Gemma: Hahaha...c-c-c-careful, my left ear is very ticklish.:She took another step back, but not too much so she doesn't cause her to fall.:

Diamond: Their real...They're not latexy or sticky due to the flaps to place over the ears...I don't even feel any openings...:Her eyes widen before releasing her ears before placing her hands over her mouth.: Please forgive me! THat probably sounded super weird!

Gemma: Umm...maybe a little, but these are my ears-no counterfeits, no fakes, no nada.:She rubbed her ears softly after she released them.:

Diamond: THen that makes you...an elf...A real honest-to-goodness-ELF! Forgive my manners, I had no idea I was in the presence of one of mythology's greatest and most magical beings!:She bowed a few times to her in the manner of the japanese custom way of bowing.: Please forgive me!

Gemma: No, no, no!:She waved her hand as she had a sweatdrop beside her head as she felt a little embarassed for her bowing for no reason.: You don't have to do that! I accept your apology, you don't have to treat it like I was royalty!...Well I am Noble, but either way-there is no need to bow.

Diamond: Phew...:She straightened back into standing position before she put on her brightest smile as she held out her right hand to her.: ANyway! Time for introductions! I'm Diamond Akimoto! Dia-Mond AKI-MOTO.:She spoke softly and slowy so Gemma can catch her name.:

Gemma:...:She looked at her hand before returning a soft smile to her, reaching out her other hand before grasping it slowly and shaking it in the most friendliest of hand shakes.: I'm Gemma Everhart, but you can call me Gemma.

Diamond: And the sour puss behind us is Hermes, he's a Companbot-A Comanion Robot. RO-BOT...Mecha-Man...Automaton.

Hermes: In other words, I am a robotic being made of steel with chips, wires and all sorts of functions and I happen to be Diamond's best friend AND at the moment her body guard.

Gemma: :She placed a fist by the side of her mouth as she snickered at him abit, her smile changed to match a sly fox's grin.: HER BODY GUARD, HUH? Well you sure did quite a GOOD JOB guarding her from those bugs.

Hermes: Errrr~!:He gripped his hands into fists as his body turned red with anger, he was about to blow a circuit for the insult she was dished out of nowhere.:

Gemma: Although, that "doo-dad"...do you have more in your "magical mecha body" of yours?:She approached him after releasing Diamond's hand, poking his chest softly in curiousity.: Maybe you could be of some help to me.

Hermes: :He placed his hands on his chest as he backed away abit.: AND WHAT IF I said that I DID have more than just one doo-dad, huh!?

Gemma: Do you have one that's like a net or perhaps a rope?

Hermes: I think so...:He stared at her as he raised his right eyebrow (A mechanical very thin eyebrow), but was suspicious as to why she would ask what kind of "doo-dads" he had.: Why do you need em?

Gemma: To catch a thief who stole something very precious from me.

Diamond: Oh dear...:She walked over to her as she felt sad to hear that Gemma got robbed by a thief.: Was it something very special to you?

Gemma: Indeed...IT was my family's most treasured possession..."The Mage's Blessing"-a magical staff that was passed down to each Everhart generation to the next. It was given to me after I passed my greatest trial-it symbolizes my accomplishments and how far I've grown to be where I am today...:She sat down with her legs crossed, hands on her shins as she let out a sad sigh.:

Diamond: When did you get the staff, Gemma?:She sat down next to her as she wanted to hear more about her story.:

Gemma: Yesterday.

Hermes: YESTERDAY!? So you got the staff as an accomplishment gift and in one day you lost it to a thief!?:He stared at her in disbelief. He thought, "Did she seriously lose a powerful staff to a charleton in just one day!? Whoever it was must of been stronger than her...that or she got tricked to get magic beans that would grow an even more powerful staff...":

Diamond: How'd you lose the staff to the thief?

Gemma: Well...This morning I headed off to do some traveling-ya know do some traveling to the big cities, see one of the wonders of Monworld-especially the Hot Springs in the Water Realm to unwind-there's one that's highy reccomended by King Penzo the Penguin.

Diamond: Oh! I think I have his card! He wears a crown on his head right?

Gemma: Yep! He ain't called a King for nothing to summon monsters to aid him.:She pointed at her with a grin on her face.: Anyway...back to the story, I was passing through the western section of the forest which wasn't far from the Flower Garden when I came upon a strange fellow who was dressed like he was of royal blood. He looked famished and hungry like he hadn't eaten in awhile, so as the kind person that I am-I decided to share my food with him. BUT do you want to know what HE DID WHEN I was getting out a loaf of bread and some fine Honey Berry Jam!? HE SWIPED the staff and ran off just when I asked him if he wanted Jam or peanut butter on his bread!:She gripped her fists in annoyance and anger.: Sure, if he'd taken the food I'd be less ticked off-BUT TO STEAL A family heirloom is an unforgivable crime!

Hermes: Man~Don't you got some lock-down spell or even a charm that'd keep thieves from taking your stuff? I mean if it was me, I'd install a Taser Zapper that recognizes my finger prints...if I had finger prints...and if it didn't recognize the prints-It'd zap em like a bug to a bug zapper.

Gemma: OhhhH~! A taser Zapper spell...that would be fascinating to make a spell like that.:She took out a tiny notepad as she wrote it down and quickly pocketed it away.: ANYWAY~! I was hot on his trail before I heard cries for help...it was between catching the thief or helping those in need...I followed my heart and chose to save you even if that meant losing sight of the thief.

Diamond: Were sorry, Gemma...If it wasn't for us getting into trouble, you would of caught the thief by now.:She lowered her head in disappointment for having her abandon her quest to get the staff back to save them.:

Gemma: Hey, it wasn't your fault. BUT YOU have to be more careful, I mean didn't anyone tell you that these neck of the woods aren't the best place for a picnic or even to hang around in?:She placed a hand on her shoulder as she watched Diamond lift her head up to look at her.:

Diamond: Well...not until right now that you told us about it. We'll be sure to be more careful next time.

Hermes: Not like we had a choice, when your thrown into a portal while psycho creeps break through the lab and flying across endless space and tumbling right out the other end and into a tree AND NEARLY EATEN by bugs isn't my idea of fun or being careful!

DIamond: What Hermes means is were not from around here...Were from Earth. EARTH-EARTH, Not Earth Realm.

Gemma: EARTH? Wait...so that means your from another world!:Her eyes widen in surprise at this newfound information that she was being told.: Just like the legendary Mon Colle Knights who saved Monworld from Ouroboros!

Diamond: Mon Colle Knights?...

Hermes: Legendary? Wait so there are others like us here?

Gemma: I'll explain more about that later, right now we need to track down that thief. He seems to like shiny things or things that seem "magical and powerful". If we could lure him out with something that LOOKS magical and powerful, he wouldn't resist trying to swipe it.

Diamond: Magical and Powerful...:She thought for a moment before she snapped her fingers as she had a brain storm.: I know! We can make a decoy to lure the thief out! Hermes! 3D Print a crown that would make even the King of England jealous!

Hermes: Sighhh~Okay, okay...just let me get it set up...:He let out an annoyed sigh before he tapped his chest as a small panel came out with buttons on it as he pressed a few before his chest opened up to reveal a 3D printer inside as it was warming up.: This may take a little bit...

Gemma: Um...question: WHAT IS A 3-D Printer?:She looked over at Diamond who was fiddling with her smartphone which made her even more curious of the strange contraptions and "magical artifacts" they possess.: AND WHAT Is that glossy stone tablet your twiddling on?

Diamond: It's my smartphone.:She held it up that showed pictures of various crowns as she was looking over which one would be suitable for their plan.: You can say its a universal magical device at your command to look up anything you want even funny Youtube videos. Right now I'm cross referencing some of the crowns to see which one would be good to print up to use for our plan to catch the "Staff Thief".

Gemma: Fascinating...:She came over as she leaned over her shoulder to look at her smartphone in wonder.:

Diamond: It's amazing how strong the signal here is in this world...Maybe it has the same physics like "In Another World with My Smartphone"-which is awesome since I can browse without getting a buffer or loading icon.

Hermes: Hey! If your phone works here, that means your mom's does too!:His eyes widen in realization as he looked over at Diamond.: Try to call her once!

Diamond: First the thief, then mom! Gemma's staff is important right now, Hermes and once we retrieve it from the thief, I'll call her to see if she's okay...I hope she's alright where she is right now.

Gemma looked over at her new friend seeing the sad gaze upon her face-she was separated from her mother when they arrived in Monworld. It must of been heart-breaking to have to be separated from a loved one and not knowing where they are. Gemma placed a hand on her shoulder as she used her hand to turn her head softly to look into her two-colored eyes.

Gemma: I'm sure your mother is safe wherever she is right now...Tell you what, you help me catch the thief and I'll help you and Hermes find her.

Diamond: Really? YOu'd...do that for us?:She was touched by her generous offer to lend her assistance in finding her mother.:

Gemma: YOur helping me catch the thief WHO took something precious and I'm gonna help you find your something precious...And that's a promise. And when an Everhart makes a promise-THEY NEVER back down from it.:She gave her a thumbs up with a sly smile on her face.: So you can count on Gemma the Red Mage WOnder to help you reunite with your mother.

Diamond: :She chuckled when she noticed her sentenced rhymed.: Hahaha...hey, that rhymed...Red mage wonder, Reunite with your mother.

Gemma: Hhahahaha...yeah, it kinda did. I'm amazed you picked up on the way it sounded.

Diamond: I'm a poetess...I like to write free style poems sometimes and often I kinda end up rhyming on a few lines in the poem, but it ain't like a Dr. Seuss kinda rhyming, but kinda my style rhyming.

Gemma: You gotta show me some of your poems sometime, I bet they're pretty neat.

Diamond: I bet its in my bag-course at the moment I Have no clue what's inside my backpack since mom didn't tell me what was all in there, but I think there should be food, fresh clothes and other widgets and digits she threw in there.

Gemma: I bet she put your notebook in there as well.

Diamond: I bet...she always knows what to pack...ha...

It didn't take long until Diamond found the perfect crown image to use for the trap-She uploaded the image onto Hermes Cloud as he began to download the image toward the 3D Printer and it took only thirty minutes to create a 3D Crown. The next part was decorating the crown to make it look legit as Gemma took it upon herself to give the crown a makeover with a little spell.

Gemma: Copy-cat Duplicate that rests in my eyes, make this fraud look like a solid, make the eyes see what they want to see. Let it shine just like the sun, let its gems glisten to reflect the deflected. Cloak the imposter in gems and beauty that would make the beholder gawk and awe. Illusion VEIL!:Her hands began to glow as its magic began to cloak the 3d crown, making it start to glow and sparkle with magical energy as color began to form on the surface with the gems beginning to glisten in the sun's rays as gold plastered over every part of the white of the material. In a matter of seconds a mere 3D print crown became an actual crown that would make auctioners think it was the real deal!:

DIamond/Hermes: WOahhhhh~!

Diamond: It looks just LIKE a REAL Royal crown!:She carefully took it from Gemma as she inspected it even tapping a gem softly.: Gemma, your magic is incredible!

Gemma: Hmph!:She placed her hands by her sides in fists before puffing up her chest, letting out a steam of air from her nose.: WELL I ain't a Red Mage for nothing ya know! I am a prodigy wonder is what I am!

Hermes: Okkaayy...so NOW THAT we have the crown...where do we set it up?

Gemma: I know a perfect spot in the woods that's perfect to catch the thief's attention.

Awhile later in another part of the forest, Hermes was fixing up the net trap as Gemma and DIamond places dirt and leaves on top of the netting-being careful not to step onto the netting to activate the trap. After they got enough camoflauge over it, Gemma carefully placed the crown right in the middle of it in just the right angle so the sun shined directly upon it while Hermes placed up a sign that read "Magical Crown Up for Grabs! Limited Time Offer-Act Fast!".

Hermes: The cherry on top. Nobody can resist a feisty deal as this: Free Crown for the picking, but there's a CATCH to snatching up this counterfeit.:He snickered a tad bit at his handy work before zooming toward the nearby bushes that Diamond and Gemma hid themselves in.:

Diamond: Now we stake out the thief and wait for him to fall right into our trap.

Gemma: And get back my staff and DELIVER sweet justice to the creep who would dare defile my family staff with his greasy, sweaty palms.:She wiggled her fingers abit before clenching them into a strangling with, eyes glistening red with wickedness as she let our a devilish laugh.:

Hermes: Right~...REMEMBER we don't want to KILL him, just deliver a swift punishment so he learns a valuable life lesson.

Diamond: It can go both ways: Repenting his actions, ignoring the lesson and continuing his crimes OR Karma comes in to deliver the "goes around comes around".:She counted each action with a finger to keep count of how the scenario would go.:

Gemma: I WANT Swift Justice and punishment for the criminal so HE GETS THE LESSON engraved to that skull of his...:She gripped his fist tightly as it had a tiny anime vein on it.:

Hermes: Looks like Gemma's created a scenario #4 in your little Alternate endings there, Di.:He had a nervous sweatdrop by the side of his head.:

Diamond: That is a likely possibly...Usually the victim gets vengeance on her thief or captor.:She had a few sweatdrops beside her head before keeping her gaze on the trap.: Alright...now all we gotta do is wait.

They kept their eyes on the trap through the bushel of bushes they were hiding in, yet as a few hours passed they began to get bored and were soon finding themselves taking a small nap with cute little sleep bubbles coming out of their noses. Suddenly-Snapp...SPRING! A shrill scream rang through the air that popped their bubbles and woke them from their Dreamlands upon hearing the startling sound of an unknown voice and the sound of a heavy object falling onto the ground.

Gemma: Ah! The thief!:She jumped out as she peeked out of the bushes along with Diamond and Hermes.: Judgment time!:She ran out as she let out a small battle cry.:

Diamond: Hold on, Gemma!:She peeked out of the bushes as she ran out with Hermes following behind her.:

Prince Eccentro: Ahhh~! Who in their right mind would put this net in the middle of the forest under my precious crown!?:He was clutching the forgery crown in his hands as he kicked his legs in a struggle as he tried to escape his ensnarement.: This is no way to treat a prince!

Gemma's voice: But it's a good way to treat a Thief, THIEF!

Prince Eccentro stared down and for a moment was confused before panic filled his face when he spotted Gemma glaring up at him as flames of anger surrounded her for she was finally caught the thief who stole her staff...staff! She searched the ground before spotting the staff right below where the net was before making a mad dash, scooping it up as she held it close to her even nuzzling it affectionately.

Gemma: My precious Mage's Blessing!:She stroked it softly as she leaned against the flowery top.: It's okay now...your safe and sound back in my hands away from the bad man who took you...he didn't use you as a back scratcher now did he?

Diamond: :She slowed her pace as she gazed at the strange man in a royal ensemble who was dangling from the suspended net. She squinted her eyes for abit before they enlarged like saucers upon recognizing him right on the spot!: Gaspppp~...No way...Uncle Ludwig is that you!?:She had nervous sweatdrops around her as she couldn't believe it was her uncle who was the thief.:

Gemma: HUH!?:She paused her tender moment with her staff before turning toward Diamond in shock.: Wait...Did you just call him Uncle!?

Prince Eccentro: :He paused his struggle to look down as he noticed Diamond before he too had to squint, at first he didn't seem to recognize her before noticing the pink of her hair that almost reminded him of a certain woman he knew long ago.: That cotton candy hair of yours...wait...it can't be? Diamond? What are you doing here?:Question marks surrounded his head in confusion as to why Hinata's daughter was in Monworld and with this wretched elf who was almost ready to get ready to fire a spell at him.:

Diamond: I could ask the same for you, Uncle Ludwig. Hold on! I'll get you down!:She ran to the support beam in the distance as she began to untie it.:

Gemma: What!? No, no, no! DON'T let him down! I got him right where I want the coward for taking the Everhart family's most prized possession!:She steadied her staff as she began to focus her energy into it.: Now which spell should I use? I polymorph spell to change you into a gecko!? Or maybe send you flying in a cyclone? Maybe even a Fire Cyclone to give ya a goofy burnt hair style!

Prince Eccentro: I prefer neither you crazed elf sorceress! And don't you dare try to cinder my precious do! Do you have any idea how long it takes to tame my majestic and beautiful mane!? Even getting it into a holding tube to keep the hair from covering my face!:He yelled out to her as he was starting to panic, using his legs to try to stretch the net. Yet he felt the net starting to descend downward as he looked toward his right to see Diamond starting to lower the net down.:

Diamond: I'd say...An hour and 25 minutes or 40 minutes if you add the brushing and pulling back.:She watched carefully until her "Uncle" was safely on the ground, releasing the rope as she ran toward his side as he stood up brushing the dirt from his clothes.:

Gemma: I can't believe you let him go! You promised to help me catch the thief, not throw him back!

Diamond: I'm not throwing him back...I mean he isn't a fish to throw back in the water and second, he isn't a thief...I think.:She looked at Eccentro in confusion before turning her attention back to Gemma.: He's my Uncle...

Hermes: Prince Ludwig Von Monsterstein Eccentro to be exact. HE'S An old friend of her mom's that went to the same school together after he got kicked out of the school he and Professor Hiragi attended after he was caught cheating.

Prince Eccentro: And how would a Tin Can like you know all that, hmmm?:He glared over as he had an annoyed look on his face.:

Hermes: I ain't no TIN CAN! I happen to be a highly advanced robot designed and crafted by Hinata AKimoto! Hermes!:He pounded his chest with his hand.: I got a 100 Terabytes built in me to make Servers and Data modules out there look prehistoric! She stored all sorts of data in my files and unfortunately about you and your rival Professor Hiragi!

Diamond: :She smiled at Hermes before looking at Eccentro.: Hermes is an Artificial Intelligence Companion Robot. A.I Companbot for short. As I recall, she got the idea for designing animal-like robots after you showed her a cute doodle of Teddy when you came to visit as a kid.

Prince Eccentro: And as I seem to recall-you were the one that came up with the name Teddyornaut. I was about to call it Tan-Tan...or was it Tanuki Bear.:He had a few question marks above his head as he tried to remember the prototype names for Teddy.:

Diamond: Because it looked like a giant teddy bear.:She had tiny hearts around her head as she had a fantasy bubble showing a chibi Diamond piggy backing on Teddyornaut's back.: And it looked so big that you can ride on its back. Gasp! Speaking of Teddy-did you ever created it!? I'd love to see what the final version is like!

As Eccentro and Diamond had a long overdo conversation which involved Teddyornaut's development stages, Gemma's patience was wearing thin as the thieving of her staff had been completely ignored and now she was seeing her new friend chatting it up with her "enemy" just as anime veins surrounded her head as she was about to burst with anger.

Gemma: I don't know what a Terabyte, Teddyornaut or development stage is, but right now I wanna TEAR a new one in his "ROYAL HIGHNESS"!:She raised her staff up as she pointed at him.: I don't care if he's a friend of your mother's or what, he nearly got away with a family heirloom and I'm gonna make him pay!

Diamond: Stop!:She ran in front of Eccentro as she was between him and Gemma.: Gemma, you got your staff back-is it really gonna make you feel much better to turn my Uncle into a Frog or mess with his do with your magic!? I'm sure he didn't mean it.

Gemma: Ohhhh~HE MEANT IT probably and he was gonna sell it off to make an even bigger fortune out of it! I mean it's a magical staff that changes form upon which Everhart it is given to and mine has taken the shape of a flower!:She had steam coming out of her head with mini anime veins on top.: He could probably get about four bags of gold or even a King's ransom for all I care!

Diamond: Well maybe instead of wanting to go..."Magic GUn-ho", we could ask him WHY he took it in the first place. There's always two sides to a story. You told me yours, Gemma-so it's only fair that Uncle tells his side of the story and that should provide some idea as to why he took your staff in the first place to when you went after him after taking thus staff.

Gemma:...:She stared at Diamond before returning her gaze at Eccentro, daggers pointing right at him in suspicion before finally lowering her staff down and held it firmly in her right hand.: Alright, I GUESS he deserves a chance to EXPLAIN himself...

Hermes: If I'd be so bold, I'll initiate the Lie Detector program so to ensure HE doesn't try to weasel himself out by making some elaborate story.:His eyes shine abit as if the lie detector program was taking effect.:

Diamond: Are you sure a Lie Detector program is necessary, Hermes?:She tilted her head as she stared at him dumbfounded.:

Hermes: Diamond, it's been 10 years since you last saw your Uncle and we don't know what kind of man he is today...I mean from how he dresses he could be just a cosplay celebrity than an actual prince.

Diamond: But Uncle is a prince! He told me that himself that he was a real Prince from Germany and he got into Dimensional studies with Mama and Professor Hiragi!:She gripped her fists as she was getting a little steam before having an idea.: Oh-I know! To make sure the Lie detector works...Uncle, are you really a true blue royal blood of a great legacy?

Prince Eccentro: Uhh...:He had a sweatdrop beside his head for a moment before he crossed his arms, puffing his chest abit as he felt his honor and identity was on the fine.: Of course I'm a real prince! One would be blind to see royalty standing right before him!

Diamond: And that outfit...It strikes the ensemble a true prince would wear! I really love the color scheme, it reminds me of the color scheme of a Minion!:She had sparkles around her as her eyes glittered as she was awestruck by his outfit.: And two of my favorite colors!

Prince Eccentro: Yes, I tired of wearing such drabby clothes back when I was attending school and didn't want to be mixed in with the mediocre scientists wearing shabby lab coats so I decided to go with my Royal Look, but not many of my colleagues got the gist of my fashion statement.

Hermes: :Eyes flashing green as it detected the truth.: Ha...he's speaking the truth on all accounts. Okay, good to see that the program works...AND see the Prince takes pride in his appearance than looking like a stereotypical Frankenstein scientist wannabe.

Gemma: Okaayyy, now that we know this "LIE DETECTOR" works-START talking as to why you took my staff.:She scowled at Eccentro as kept a gaze that would make Medusa's petrification gaze look like puppy dog eyes.:

Prince Eccentro: RIght, right...:He waved a finger in the air before placing it under his chin.: Let's see...As I seem to recall, me and my team got into a scuffle with the MoN Colle Brats when there was a monster signal coming from the Earth Realm and as usual-WE got defeated YET again...When we crashed our ship like we do in every defeat, I was sent flying and landed in this dreadful forest where I was nearly attacked by those disgusting bugs...AND I thought being covered in them due to my MANLY musk #6 cologne was bad enough and tied upside down being dragged around by my ship, thanks to Batch's stupid idea on how to lure out the Thunder Bug, nearly pinched and gnawed at and then get splat with gooey maple mud!

Diamond: O.O That must of been quite a horrible experience...like a worm on a hook with an army of fish trying to take a bite out of it.

Prince Eccentro: Yes...I guess that's one way to sum up one of the worst moments of my life. Anyway I managed to get away, yet I faced another dilemma-Food. With only a pack of Spearmint gum in my pocket, I thought I was going to starve to death before I came across the Elf Witch of the West.

Gemma: Whom you begged to for food WHICH I offered to give you, but it was probably a distraction to swipe my staff.

Prince Eccentro: It wasn't a distraction, I was really hungry and it wasn't my fault that your staff caught my eye and thought it was a monster item.

Gemma: AND WOULD A MONSTER ITEM take on the appearance of a Floral scepter of magnificence?:She gritted her teeth as the vein on her head glow.:

Diamond:...The both of you said Monster Item. My mom told me before we got separated that there are objects called monster items in this world, but she didn't give me a straight answer as to what they are.

Gemma: Monster Items are powerful and magical objects that represent the six realms of Monworld. When they come together, they can open up a portal to another world or another universe altogether from what I've been told.

Diamond: :She thought for a moment in her mind, "Able to open a gate to another world...":

A flashback played as Hinata was telling Diamond about the monster items and what the strange men might want them for.

Hinata: Anyway from what I picked up from the audio feedback-they're looking to use the gate as part of some ritual to bring both our worlds together...OR to unlock another realm...but in order to do that...they need the mystical monster items to complete their project...I believe if they use an artificial gate like mine with the items it would stabalize and create a portal to step into the other realm. BUT I won't let them have it...

The flashback ended as Diamond looked over at Gemma as dread filled her face.

Diamond: My mom brough up monster items-She told me the masked men were searching for them to use with the Mon Gate to complete some project...I wonder if it has anything to do with when all six items are brought together and using the Mon Gate could be a stabalizer to keep the gate between the worlds open...

Prince Eccentro: Wait...your mother completed the Mon Gate?:He looked over at Diamond in confusion, yet his face softened when he saw the sadness spread across Diamond's face as tears were forming in her eyes.:

Diamond: Yeah...she was going to do one last test phase on it until our home was attacked by men in red masks...She opened the gate and thrusted us inside, but to two different coordinates...the last thing she told me was to meet her at Solaria's Temple between the borders of the Earth and Light (Holy) realms...I just hope...s-sshe's okay...That she wasn't followed by those monsters...:She placed her hands over her face before falling down to her knees, letting out a soft cry-the truth of the situation rising yet again when she thought about her mother's whereabouts.:

Gemma: :She stared at her sadly before walking over, bending down as she placed her staff on the ground and put her hands on her shoulders.: Hey, hey...it's going to be alright...From what you told me your mom's a pretty smart cookie.

Prince Eccentro: Smart cookie?! She's practically a Box of Chocolate Chip cookies! She has a higher IQ than me and Hiragi combined! If anyone can outsmart a bunch of goons without getting a scratch on her, it's Hinata. Why even when we played Go Fish, she'd win every time by strategizing what numbers came next in the deck!

Gemma: :She looked at Eccentro with an annoyed expression before returning her attention to Diamond.: Listen, wherever your mom is right now, her first thought upon arriving in a strange, new world is finding shelter, food and strategizing how to get to Solaria's Temple to catch up with you. And whoever these masked men are who are after you guys, I'm sure she has some nifty doo-dads to keep them at bay.

Prince Eccentro: And toss em' into next week, she doesn't have a black belt in Martial Arts for nothing when she took that extracurricular back in college...I should know because she tossed me right into the towel basket..:He had a blue line under his right eye in disgust just thinking about the sweaty towels he was covered in.: I think she did that on purpose after I thought she couldn't lift a "delicate flower" such as myself.

Hermes: Yet she proved you wrong now didn't she?:He glared at him with slight annoyance on his face.:

Gemma:...:She thought for a moment before she has an idea.: I got an idea-Why don't I take you and your friend back to my town. I forgot to pack a few things when I was BEING KIND TO offer my FOOD to your Uncle.:She gritted her teeth before glancing back over at Eccentro and back to Diamond.: It isn't too far away from where we are and you can stay at my place for awhile until we start our journey to the temple. Did I also mention that we have THE BEST Honey cakes in all of Earth Realm?

Diamond: :She wiped her eyes as she looked up at Gemma.: Honey...cakes?

Gemma: Yeah-one of my town's most prized pastries.:She smiled softly as she was happy to see her starting to perk up a little.: And there are way more beautiful flowers and a stream-oh! And an incredible water fountain in the middle of town! Its one of my most favorite spots I used to practice some of my minor, non-damaging spells.

Diamond: Well...I love pastries...do they have crepes?

Gemma: Crepes?:She had a question mark above her head.: What's a Crepe.

Hermes: I'm gonna take that as a no...

Diamond: That's okay, Hermes. We can explain about crepes later to her-they aren't too hard to make. It's a very thin pancake with lots of creamy and fruity goodness.

Gemma: From how you described it-it must be a very delicious confection in your world.

Diamond: One of many to be exact.:A small smile spread across her face as she got up slowly with Gemma.: Sighhh~...

Gemma: Feeling a little better now?

Diamond: Yeah, thanks for the pick-me-up. I can't wait to see your hometown, I bet if it's anything like I've seen in video games for starter towns/cities-I bet its beautiful.:She placed her hands together as tiny sparkles filled her eyes.:

Gemma: That's not even the half of my town. Anyway come on if we leave now, we should be there by dinner time.:She waved her hand as if to signal her and Hermes to follow her.:

Diamond: Perfect! We can all enjoy a nice dinner at your home and I can't wait to meet your family!

Gemma: By the way when you said "We", you meant-you, me and Hermes, right?

Diamond: :She slided to Eccentro as she pointed her fingers at him with a big smile.: Annndddd Uncle of course!~ ^_^

Gemma: Uh-uh! HE CAN STAY here with the bugs. I don't want that Staff Thief anywhere near my staff or anything of high value...Towns are a perfect hunting ground for HIS KIND even if he is a Prince.

Prince Eccentro: Excuse me, but I'm highly offended you pointy-ear witch!

Gemma: :She marched over to him, gripping her fists by her side as she was getting furious for being called a "pointy ear witch".: Pointy-ear witch!? I dare you to call me that again, Your ROYAL FIEND-NESS...:She was very close to his face now.:

Prince Eccentro: Pointy-ear witch! Pointy-ear witch! Pointy-ear witch!:He got close to her face as he looked furious.:

Gemma/Prince Eccentro: ERRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!~:Lightning bolts shot out of their eyes as they clashed against one another.:

Diamond: Guys, that's enough!:She came between them as she softly pushed them away before looking at one another.: There's no reason to fight or call each other names.

Hermes: Yeah, right now we gotta focus on getting to Gemma's hometown and getting some rest...and I could use a charge break...I feel like I'm on 40% right now...~_~

Diamond: Right...you need your Portable Charger to get you back to top performance.:She looked at Hermes before backing up abit to look at Gemma and Eccentro.: So should we get going?

Gemma: ONLY if I get a formal apology from Fancy-Princy here, then we can get going.:She pointed a thumb over at Eccentro.:

Prince Eccentro: A prince doesn't need to apologize for being right.:He turned his back on her before crossing his arms.: Hmph!

Diamond: Sighhh~...:She lowered her head for a moment before she thought of an idea before running toward her Uncle's side, hands together as she put on the cutest face that nobody can resist.: Then just for me...can you just apologize for stealing Gemma's staff when you mistook it for a Monster item...pleassseee Uncle?

Prince Eccentro looked at Diamond as a few sweatdrops appeared at the side of his head-if there's one of many things he couldn't resist was the cuteness of Diamond's "Kawaii Face" that she'd use to lower his defenses even if it was something she wanted or wanted to do-And it worked every time. He turned his head as he closed his eyes hoping to block the cuteness from his sight, but the glow from her was so bright that it caused him to flutter his eyes before catching sight of it! It was too strong and after a little bit he gritted his teeth before letting out a groan, turning around to face Gemma.

Prince Eccentro: Fine, fine! I'm...I'm Sss...ssssoorr...:He bit his lower lip as he tried to spell out the word he was trying to say.:

Gemma: Hmmmm?:She raised an eyebrow as she stared at him.: Your what now?

Prince Eccentro: I'm...sss.s...s...I'MSORRY! Okay! I'm sorry I stole your stupid staff thinking it was a monster item, now can we please get out of here so we don't become a banquet for bugs, Pointy-I mean GEMMA!:He was pointing at himself in a frenzy as he was being skeptical while he apologized to her.:

Gemma: Apology accepted and I'm surprised you used my name too.:She smirked before turning around as she waved her staff and pointed it straight.: Now with that settled, onward to Honey Meadow!:She began to march off as she hummed a cheerful song.:

Prince Eccentro: Ughhh...:He wiped his mouth as he felt disgusted upon what he just said.: Saying "I'm Sorry" left a horrible taste in my mouth.

Hermes: You can always chew a piece of gum to get it out, your HIGHNESS.:He snickered a tad bit as he began to march on with Diamond by his side.:

Diamond: :She giggled softly as she was happy that the ordeal was over and they had a destination that waited for them.:

The newly formed teamed headed off to Honey Meadow, Gemma's hometown to get some rest and recooperation before figure out a plan to get to Solaria's Temple that lied between the Earth and Light Realms. The sun started to set softly in the east, yet as the shadows were slowly rising from their hiding-a dark shadow was looming in the darkness as it watched them heading off down the clear path that led out of the woods.


	4. Chapter 4: Arriving in Honey Meadows

Once they were out of the forest, the unlikely team found themselves on a dusty-yet surprisingly cleaned dirt road that you could ever walk on. Gemma took the lead in the front to take her new friends (And frenemy) back to her hometown of Honey Meadow while Hermes stayed in the back as he kept his sensors peeled for anything suspicious, yet half the time his eyes were mainly focused on Eccentro since he was the most suspicious. What kind of Professor dresses up in such a funny costume, steals an elf mage's staff and right now talking to Diamond as if he was part of his family-he probably thought that his family was just as "eccentric" as Eccentro.

Diamond: No way! You single-handedly took down a Tyrannous in the Ogre Games!?:Her eyes sparkled as she was absorbing every word he was telling her, excitment flowed through her veins as she had so many questions with each tale her uncle told her.: Was it like a plain T-Rex or a different kind of rex that belonged in the same family!? And the ogres!? Were they meat eaters like in the stories!? What about their culture?! And the tournament is part of their traditions!?

Prince Eccentro: :He had various sweatdrops around his head as he was being as patient, his niece really was quite the curious one to ask so many questions to which he didn't have any clue on. He only knew from his horrible experiences about monsters and characters he ran into and how he sometimes got involved in silly affairs especially when he helped the Ogre Brothers against Tyrannous (Call it an odd "brotherly bond"). So he cleared his throat before he began to speak to her as he puffed his chest abit.: Well...Tyrannous seemed to be 10xs bigger than a T-Rex, why if it wasn't for the combined efforts of me and the Poser Brothers, he would of eaten up the entire town in two-no wait...three bites!:He held up three fingers to show Diamond with a surprised expression on his face.:

Diamond: WOahhhh~!:Her eyes widen more with tiny stars taking up spaces where the sparkles didn't fill in.: A Mega-sized T-rex...Mega-Tyrannous...

Hermes: Heh...:He had his arms crossed while his right eye twitched in annoyance as he kept tabs on his so-called "Stories" as his eyes secretly flashed red abit and green due to some facts being a mix of truth and lies. He thought, "So far this guy has 40% truth, but a whopping 60% in the lie department...HE'S DEFINITELY FISHY in my book and I can't blame Gemma for nearly trying to fry him.":

Diamond: Uncle, you've got to be one of the coolest people in the whole entire universe! To Sky Dive right at a Tyrannous and take him out with a powerful blow like the "Eccentro Meteor Kick!" It's a catchy attack name, but how about something like "Burning Passion Comet Strike!" We could work shop it to something like "Burning Rose Comet!" Orrr "Meteor Comet Kick"! Maybeee...:SHe snapped her fingers as she was trying to think of an attack move.: Oh! The Burning Rose Kick!

Hermes: How about the "Idiot SkyDiving Strike"-BECAUSE nobody could take out a Prehistoric-like monster with JUST ONE kick and knocking him down to the ground.:He raised a robotic hand up as he soon floated between the two as he squeezed himself in.: I know we've been walking down the road for 20 minutes now, but within those 20 minutes with each tale he told from how he saved an Elf Princess's Magic Voice by finding a Lightning Bug, rescued two knights and Hiragi from a village of Lizard Men, and now...NOW the one with a T-Rex?

Diamond: Each was really entertaining especially when he and his team dressed up as ninjas to sneak into the Lizard Men's base. Not only is he a scientist and royalty, but Ninja! Almost like Grandma Ryoko-she happens to be descended from an ancient ninja clan. She once gave me shurikens for my 8th birthday gift.:She looked down at Hermes with a gleeful smile on her face.:

Hermes: Yeahhh~NOT A good gift to give an 8 year old AND don't forget who supervised you when you wanted to test them out...:He had a tiny anime vein on his head as he looked up at her.: AND I almost had to get my left eye fixed when I got hit by one, but luckily it got stuck on my ear.

Diamond: Yeah and it left a tiny mark...and I did apologize for hitting you a few times with the shuriken.

Gemma: Shurikens...:She looked back at Diamond with curiousity on her face.: What are shurikens?

Diamond: Oh! Their like these pieces of metal shaped like stars...well okay...maybe it's like a snowflake pattern...but their like small sharp pieces of metal that ninjas use to throw at their enemies. Their really popular in ninja mangas like Naruto and Baruto-different series from the same creator.

Gemma: Hmmm...intriguing YOU DON'T happen to have any on hand right now do you? MAYBE we could try EM out and PRINCY can hold the target.:She grinned maliciously at him as if wanting to strike fear in him or just joking around.:

Prince Eccentro: :He had nervous sweat bubbles around him as he saw the look on her face.: Let's say we did and say we didn't...Diamond, please tell me your mom didn't pack shurikens in that bag of yours did she?!

Diamond: :She took off her backpack as she dug around with a question mark above her head.: I don't know to be honest...:She unzipped the bag as she stuck her hand inside, rummaging around before taking out a pair of sunglasses and then her bokuto sword.: Oh!...But she packed my bokuto and it seems she used the Infini-Pack to pack all my stuff in...no matter it felt so light.:She held it up with a smile on her face.:

Hermes: That means she must have one as well-Uhhh...SHE DID pack bungee cord and a harness in case you fell in, right?:He looked over at her nervously as he remembered one time she fell in the Infini-Pack prototype and got lost for a couple hours when he and her mom tried to get her out, when they did Diamond had a handful of snacks she found in the Snack Zone.:

Diamond: :She dug around before taking out bungee gear to confirm his clarity.: Yep! Right here and there's plenty of the bungee cord in case for deep exploration.:She placed the bungee gear back inside before picking up her bokuto that she rested for abit.:

Gemma: You never cease to amaze me, Diamond. Your world is full of mysterious wonders and trinkets.:She was surprised and awed after witnessing the Infini-Pack's "magic power". Yet her attention now focused on her bokuto that she held close to her.: Also is that a wooden stick?:She tilted her head as she came over to closely inspect it.: Is this your weapon or a big stick to keep around for firewood? You called it a Bokuto.

Diamond: Yep-it's a wooden sword. It's my main weapon you can say, I happen to be a 1st Dan...which is a ranking in Kendo. I used this beauty to take one of the creeps that tried to suck my blood.:She patted it with a big grin on her face.: Isn't that right, Tulip?

Prince Eccentro: YOu named your weapon Tulip?:He had a question mark above his head.:

Hermes: Don't ask...:He looked at him with a sweatdrop beside his head.: She almost called it "Ryu" after that guy in one of her favorite animes.

Diamond: Also I painted a tulip on the side of the handle.:She pointed out a cute tulip with an anime smiley face.: Alright Tulip, back in the bag you go for now until we got some bad guys to bust.:Placing the wooden sword carefully back inside as it slided it smoothly.:

Gemma: Ahem...:She coughed softly in her hand before turning back around to face forward.: Anyway, this little road talk is very intriguing-BUT we should get going if were gonna make it to Honey Meadow.

Diamond: How far are we from your town, Gemma?:She continued to walk as she followed Gemma's pace.:

Gemma: Not too far now...:She studied the sky before taking a look at the surroundings around them.: Hmmm...yeah...I'd say we'll be there in 10-15 minutes.

Prince Eccentro: UghhhH~! That long!? Are you sure you can't call us a taxi or one of those Ubers to give us a lift into a town!?:He looked at her annoyed as he groaned for it felt like this was taking more than 20 minutes-it felt like hours.:

Gemma: Ohhh surreee~Just let me take out my Enchanted Crystal Ball and call a carriage to come pick us up, YOUR MAJESTY.:She looked back at him with an anime vein on her head as she couldn't stand his whining.:

Hermes: In other words-Suck it up, man up and tell your legs to stop being babies and keep walking until we see civilization.:He snickered as he translated Gemma's sarcasm.:

Diamond: I don't mind another set of minutes, this is actually quite nice to take in the scenary. Just like adventuring teams before us who traveled these very roads when traveling the world and taking in the environments around them no matter where they went. Plus were getting a lot of exercising in which is good for the body to get a good work out.

Gemma: First, as far as I know-YOU, Me and Hermes are an Adventuring Team-I'm not counting your "Uncle" into our team because he tried to rob me. Second, traveling is very wonderful and adventurous depending on where your going or where your heading. I once took a year off after graduating Mage School to travel around Monworld to expand my horizons and to cut loose-Do you know how much studying and practice goes into being a great mage?

Diamond: LOTS of years of practice, studying and honing one's magical abilities?:She took a wild guess as she looked a little puzzled.:

Gemma: Exactly.:She raised a finger up before looking back at her.: And I worked my butt off to hone what I was taught AND what I wasn't taught to earn my diploma in Magical Arts...Its a lot of stress. Not gonna lie on that so taking a year off after graduating was good for the mind, body and soul. I even participated in Mermaid Meditation-and my class was under the sea in the Water Realm, which was good that I used a Polymorph spell to become a mermaid so I could participate.

Diamond: Wowwww~That's so cool! Can you show me some techniques they used? I'd love to give it a try.

Gemma: Welll...some of the moves are very easy to do like the deep breathing and the Ooommmmm...:She hummed a little with her hands together and eyes closed for a moment before opening them.: And then there's this one breathing technique where you gotta imitate a fish's breathing even the bop bubbles. Oh! And then there's this one where you have to stand on your hands with your tail in the air and sway about like seaweed while visualizing the crashing waves. Honestly, it was tricky when you haven't mastered the intermediate level of having a mermaid tail.

Diamond: So cool...:Her eyes sparkled more in her eyes they were about to burst into sparkles of glitter with her hands together.:

Prince Eccentro: Yes, yes-Meditation under the sea is quite a fascination, but you know what would be MORE fascinating is getting to your backwater town so I can at least relax on some kind of bed to rest my weary feet.:He looked at her annoyed as he had a vein on his head from what she said earlier about not being part of the "adventure team" besides his own team.:

Gemma: WHAT did you just say!? I did not just hear you call the most beautiful, gorgeous and honney-est place in the Earth Realm "BACKWATER"?!:She raised her staff at him as she was starting to steam with anger.:

Diamond: Okay, okay.:She came between them as she held her hands up to keep them apart.: Fighting isn't going to get us to where we have to go. If we keep stopping and arguing, it'll be night fall before we can get to town.

Gemma: AND Then we'd have to sleep outside...WHERE the bugs might come roaming...or worse...:She looked at Eccentro with a scary-look on her face.: The Wolves...ya know we sometimes get Howler Wolves in these parts during the night. And do you know what they love more than rabbits and farm animals?...WHINY, LITTLe Princes who would rather waste his breathe complaining than showing.

Prince Eccentro: Errr...:He stared at her with beady annoyed eyes, but he was also hiding a hint of fear (No prince should be a meal to horrid wolves-he might get mistaken for a Red Riding Hood wannabe due to the cape) before taking a deep breath and crossed his arms as he looked the other ways.: SIGHHHH~FIne! Then continue leading us to your "PLEASANT and Beautiful Town" then, Gem.

Gemma: It's Gemma. Only close friends or people I like can call me Gem. AND my mother calls me Gemmy-Wemmy, just a heads up and ONE GIGGLE...:She pointed her staff close to his mouth.: I'll give you DUCK LIPS-REAL DUCK Lips.:She lowered her staff down before continuing to walk ahead.: Let's get a move on then.

Prince Eccentro: :He placed a hand over his mouth as if he was defending it after she threatened to turn them into duck lips.: Gasp~Not my precious rose lips! I'd refuse to have disgusting bird lips for lips.

Hermes: Then zip the lips and turn the other cheek, Prince. Ya know if you keep bad mouthing her, she'll turn you into a duck.:He hovered past him as he followed after Gemma.:

Diamond: Uncle, please try your best to get along with Gemma. I know this must be hard for you too to be far away from your friends and your home. I understand the feeling. I'm far from home and my mom is somewhere in Monworld and Gemma's our only hope of finding what were looking for.:She stared at him with a hint of sadness on her face even if she masked it with a sincere smile.: So please try not to get on Gemma's bad side-I don't want to explain to your friends or my mom that you became Prince Quack.:She giggled abit at her own joke, yet saw a tiny annoyance detected on his face.: Sorry.

Prince Eccentro: It's alright. For your sake, I will TRY my best not to anger Gemma the Gun-ho Mage to the best of my ability. As a prince, I'll try to keep my sharpness to myself, but it's not a promise.

Diamond: :She smiled softly before patting his arm as she was proud that he was going to try to be good.: Trying is the best thing you can do. Now come on-we better catch up. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna stick around til dusk to see if those Howler Wolves come out. And if they do, Tulip will set them straight and if she doesn't mind, be used to play fetch. Wolves are like big doggies who sometimes need a little fun than kill.:She headed off ahead to join Gemma and Hermes.: Wait for us guys!

Prince Eccentro halted for a moment as he watched Diamond join her friends. She was a strange and foolish girl, if she only knew the truth about him-would she still find him "cool" or "amazing" when she learns he is a real bad guy who wants to take over Monworld? He wouldn't know how she would react for it has been 10 years since he last saw her, she was only a carefree and energetic five year old who loved to watch on when he and his friends were working on ways to create a gate in finding the mythical world of Monworld. Yet half the time he would argue with Hiragi for copying his blueprints while he returned fire by saying he copied off of him even on the velocity needed to launch a ship into the gate. He remembered how Diamond admired the roses that he brought over for her mother (He had quite the crush on her since then and still has a soft spot for her now), but she accidentally pricked her finger on a thorn and he was kind to place a bandage on her pricked finger-even giving it a tiny "magic kiss" to make it better. Then there was the time Diamond showed him one of her favorite fairy tale books even pointing out the illustration of a prince that nearly, but didn't look like Eccentro, but he found it adorable that she thought he was like the prince in her book. He was touched and honored that a small child like her would look up to him this way and as a prince, he would be the best prince he could be to her. Each visit he came over during that year, he would bring gifts for her and her mother, he would agree to play horsey back ride with her and make believe where he'd play the heroic prince saving the princess. Most of all when it came to reading stories, he would either read from the book or tell her the wonderful tales he heard about the mystical world of Monworld and that one day it'll be possible to visit such a place or to bring it to Earth so Monsters and People can live together (That was Hiragi's dream at least, for him it was taking over Monworld-but that is another story as to the real reason he wants to rule it).

Diamond's voice: Uncle! Uncle!

Suddenly, the Prince was snapped back from Memory Lane when he heard Diamond's voice calling out his name. He shook it off before he saw Diamond was waiting for him while Hermes and Gemma were a little ways away-she must of stopped to wait up for him, indeed she was a strange, but caring girl to care about him even today as she was now grown.

Diamond: Come on or we'll be left behind. You can daydream while we walk than as a statue, silly.:She giggled as her uncle can be silly sometimes.:

Prince Eccentro: Oh! Right, right.:He began to catch up to her before they began to walk together while keeping up the pace with their friends.: Sorry, your silly uncle was just thinking for a moment and lost track of the time.

Diamond: That's okay, that happens to me sometimes too. Oh! Like this one time I was so lost in thought that I got on the wrong train and ended up in Wakayama. Which was pretty amazing, but confusing when you decide to do some sight seeing and you end up lost trying to get back to the train station.

As Diamond kept telling the story, it didn't take much longer before they saw farms coming up in the distance-your usual farms that have usual animals like cows, horses, goats and sheep. Yet across on the other side of the field was a "Honey Farm" with Hive-like structures that ranged from small to large! That must be where honey was collected and gathered by the Honey Farmers to make delicious honey products. Diamond's eyes nearly bursted in wonder as she ran toward the fence watching some of the farmers carefully taking a comb panel out that was filled with gooey golden liquid. Gemma waved to the farmers as she recognized them from town and saw them waving back after taking note of the people by the fence watching them working.

Diamond: :She waved to them with a big smile on her face before calling out.: Your doing a great job! My name's Diamond! Nice to meet you!

Gemma: Hahahha...that's Travis and George out there. They always take on the evening shift to gather the remaining honey combs. Then later, Nick's got night duty to keep an eye out for Howler Wolves and Abominable Bears that come roaming around these parts. Now how's about we let them working? If you thought this was impressive...wait until you see the town.:She smiled happily at Diamond before waving a hand to gesture her to follow her.:

DIamond: :She hopped down from the fence as she ran toward Gemma's side, she wanted a front row view when she got to see her hometown with her hands behind her back and a gitty smile on her face.:

They kept passing more farms that spread across the land until they finally saw civilization in the distance with a sign written in a strange language (Elfish?), but luckily there was a translation to go with it: "Welcome to Honey Meadows, Have a Honey-Tastic Time." Behind the sign was a gorgeous little town that exploded with flowers that scattered in almost every part of the town-it reminded Diamond of the town in Beauty and the Beast, lively people roaming the streets with a marketplace that rested in the southeastern section and shops on the northwestern section of the community. In the center was an extravagent water fountain with the statue of an elfish angel that prayed to the sky above. The sound of music drifted through the air that made its way to weary travelers' ears in the distance, it was harmonious and blissful to hear such delicate and peaceful tunes to resonate with one's soul to bring ease and calmness to ensure their safety and welcomeness to their town. There were a few horse-drawn carts that rode about town delivering goods or heading off to ride to another town and at this moment, one cart was heading in the group's general direction. It was a merchant cart that belonged to Ole' Oliver Jingleton, a cheery fellow who had a variety of do-dads and knick-knack oddities to sell to neighboring towns and beyond. He was whistling a tune before he noticed Gemma heading his way before pulling the reigns of his horse softly to slow down so he could hold a small conversation with his friend.

Oliver: Well if it ain't Gemma! What are you doing back in town so soon? Weren't you off to go exploring the mysteries of Monworld, helping folks out of jams and coming up with new fancy-smancy spells you got cooking?:He leaned over the side of his seat as he smiled warmly to her before noticing her party.: Oh! And who may these be? Friends of yours?

Gemma: Friends and an acquaintance. I was on my way before I ran into some trouble...well THEY ran into trouble, so I gave them a hand and I offered to let them stay with me for awhile until I can get them to their friends.:She rubbed the back of her head as she felt a little embarassed.: Plus I have to replenish my supplies since I noticed I was missing a few things.

Diamond: My name is Diamond Akimoto, this is Hermes and my uncle Prince Eccentro.:She smiled as she introduced herself and her group. She took a few steps closer as she looked at his horse and the cart he was wheeling.: Wowww~You have such a lovely cart! It's so antiquish and quirkish. I love it!:She had her hands on her face with tiny hearts around her.:

Oliver: Hahahhaa, why thank you Miss. Delila's been with me since I was learning to drive one of these carts, but the first time riding one-I nearly crashed it in a pond. And good ole Lucy's a trusty cart to carry all my thingamajigs on. Course sometimes I have to get her customed when it comes to her wheels getting riggedy and loose, but its a strong cart that's seen a lot in her time.

Hermes: :He closely inspected the cart as he took a look at the right wheel. Touching it softly as he patted it abit to check if its safe.: Hmmm~...I'd say you should get it checked out in the next day. Your right wheel seems a little riggedy.:He began to check the other wheels as he patted them and felt them to ensure they were sturdy.: Double check the others and the screws so they don't come loose either. I'd say don't go over the usual speed limit and careful if you find yourself on a wild chase from incoming monsters.

Oliver: You can tell by just patting the wood, metal golem?:He tilted his head as he stared at Hermes awestruck upon what he said.:

Hermes: Well yeah, I scanned the cart and its wheels to take a closer look at the aging of the wood and the condition of the wheels. You had them replaced by about 3 months. I'd reccomend getting Beech Wood for the wheels so they hold and support better than what you got here.

Prince Eccentro: Didn't know you were a CART mechanic.:He glared over at Hermes as he didn't knew a robot knew anything about old fashion vehicles.:

Hermes: Heh! Well I ain't the best assistant in the world for nothing. Hinata programmed me with hundreds upon hundreds of files on her inventions, how-to, historical knowledge of old time inventions and science even Leonardo Devinci's Sky-Flyer device.:He puffed his chest abit with his hands by his side.: Don't underestimate this bunny, pal.

Oliver: Thank you for the advice, Mister Hermes. I guess I could splurge to give the ole gal a new set of wheels. I've made quite the sales these days with my products. Anyway Gemma, I should be going-if I head out now I can make it to the Oak Corral Inn before night falls.

Gemma: :She nodded before waving to Oliver.: It was a pleasure seeing you again, Oliver and safe travels.

Oliver: You as well, Miss Gemma and the same for your friends. I wish you all good luck on your journey.:He waved back to them before clicking the reigns as he drove off.:

Diamond: Bye Mister Oliver! It was nice meeting you!:She waved back energetically with a huge smile on her face as she turned to Gemma.: I think I'm going to love your town, Gemma. The people here so far are reallly nice!

Gemma: Yet you haven't even stepped one foot in the town yet.:She joked before letting out a chuckle before walking forth down the path.: If you thought a few folks was something, WAIT until you get the GRAND tour.

They continued down the path as they entered town, Diamond's eyes nearly exploded from her eye sockets just taking a gander at it all-it was almost like something out of a fairy tale or in an RPG where the first stop on the hero's journey is a quaint town where he/she would run into his/her first companion! Everywhere she turned, elves walked by going about their merry way while customers gossiped at a cafe that was known for its Ambrosian Rose Tea with a plate of fresh baked Honey Cheese danishes shaped like honey combs. Every step they took through the town, there was something new to behold that caught her full attention right away especially a street performer who was juggling three swords-Lit on fire mind you! It was crazy how anybody can juggle three fire swords without getting second degree burn or caught on fire if he accidentally dropped it! Near the market, Diamond stopped at an antique booth as she picked up a gorgeous-looking hand mirror as she stared at her reflection.

Diamond: Wowww~This hand mirror is so beautiful.:She tilted it to admire the gold that was forged to create such a beautiful piece of work, there were even odd patterns that made up its design.:

Merchant: That my dear is The Mirror of Truth, when you gaze upon your reflection it reveals what you wish to see than what you wish not to see if someone were to lie to you.

Gemma: :Her ears perked up as she was by a booth that sold magic accessories, she caught a glimpse of Diamond and the merchant having a conversation.: Hmmm?

Diamond's voice: So it'll show me what the person really said if they were lying?

Merchant's voice: That's right, you just let them look at themselves in the reflection-ask them a question and any detection of the lie...the Mirror will reveal their truth before you and him.

Gemma: A Mirror of Truth huh?:She gazed over as she saw Eccentro leaning against a lightpole as if he wasn't interested in taking a look at the market.: Hmmmmm...

Merchant: Tell me young lady, your not from here are you? From the strange clothes you are wearing-you must be very far from home.:She squinted her wrinkled eyes as she leaned in close to Diamond.:

Diamond: I'm from Earth-A WHOLE different world from the world you live in, Miss. My name is Diamond Akimoto.

Merchant: Ahhh~What a beautiful name. My eyes maybe quite old dear, but I could see why you bear such a gem's name...your eyes shine like the very diamonds themselves.:She smiled softly to her before looking around at her table as if she was looking for something for her.: And a gem like yourself deserves something special...:Once she caught a glimpse of a small white box in her sight, she picked it up before raising it up slowly to her with a sincere smile on her face.: Ahhh~Here you are.

Diamond: For me?:She was touched by her generousity, but she didn't want to take anything without paying for it-it felt wrong.: But I don't have money from this world to give you.

Merchant: No, no it's quite alright. Consider it a gift from one friend to another...a welcoming gift you can say. I can tell just by looking at your eyes that you are a kind and gentle soul, one who looks out for others before oneself, who would do anything to keep them safe. A lively spark that fills the heart, eyes wide as the moon above full of wonder and curiousity...Wings ready to take to the sky as you awaken the light that glows from within. Thus it is right for you to have this.:She opened the small box as it revealed to contain a blue bracelet with a silver angelic charm embedded in the middle that held a lovely gem within its center.:

Diamond: Gasppp~...:She carefully reached over before picking it up, staring at it in awe for she couldn't believe the beauty of the charm that was held by satin silk string. Her eyes shine for a second when she stared at the gem and instantly, she placed the bracelet on her left arm taking a moment to admire it.: It's...beautiful...:She looked down at the old lady as she smiled to her.: Thank you so much.

Merchant: As for the mirror, you can have that as well-you may not know when it might come in handy.

Diamond: That's too generous of you. Here, at least let me give you something in return.:She opened a compartment in her backpack before she took out a bag of crepes she was saving, they were in a cooling bag (Courtesy of Hermes) so they didn't go bad. She hesitated at first knowing her love of crepes, but she couldn't think of anything better to give her for such gifts. She held out the bag to her as she watched her grasped it carefully in her hands.: Here, they're crepes. Their like a VERY thin pancake wrapped up with fruit, cream, chocolate and other goodies. I was saving them for when I was reunited with my mom, but you can have them. I hope that's okay.

Merchant: :She opened the bag as she peeked inside before lifting her head to give her a warm smile, nodding softly to her.: Yes, this will do just fine. Thank you so much Miss Diamond.

Gemma's voice: Diamond.

Diamond: :She turned around the moment her name was spoke when Gemma came over to her.: Hey, Gem. Look what I got.:She raised up her left arm to show her bracelet and then her right hand that held the mirror.: A mirror and a bracelet for free.

Gemma: Is that so?

Diamond: Yeah...:She saw the disbelief look on her face before raising her hands in defense.: I-it isn't like that, Gemma. She did give them to me and I gave her my crepes because I felt bad about her giving me freebies. She was very nice and kind...yet somehow mysterious because she wore a hooded robe.:She thought for a moment before returning her attention to her.: But she said that it was a gift from one friend to another.

Gemma: Ha...well if it's a gift from one friend to another...Guess that's okay. Say, that mirror there.:She leaned it to look at the mirror.: She said it tells the truth if somebody lied right?

Diamond: I guess so?:She turned it over to have it reflect her image.: You have them gaze in the mirror, if they lie-the mirror shows the truth.

Gemma: Ha...is that so? Mind if I borrow it for abit?:She held out her hand, yet watched her pull the mirror away.:

Diamond: Is it so you can see if Uncle is a liar? Listen, Gemma, I know my uncle stole from you-BUT IT was one time, yet you treat it like he's been a criminal for his whole life.

Gemma: Because I don't trust him and you shouldn't either, sure to your eyes he's the goofy uncle who dresses funny and claims to be a prince, BUT deep under that gentlemanly facade there lies a dark heart of an evil man who cares about ONLY himself and monster items.:She placed her hands on her sides as she glared at Diamond with a hint of anger.:

Diamond: :She clenched the mirror in her grasp as she took a deep breath before sighing sadly.: You don't know that...and maybe I don't know that either...But if my uncle was hiding something from me he'd tell me...

Gemma: And if he didn't tell you, that means it could be something serious that he's got locked away that he wouldn't share with those close to him...Whatever that secret is, I just don't want you to get hurt because of it...:Her gaze softened before placing a hand on her shoulder.: I'm sorry, I just want to protect you should he be keeping something from you.

Diamond: :She placed her hand on her arm softly before raising her head to meet her eyes, a small smile formed on her face.: Its okay, I forgive you Gemma. No matter if my uncle was hiding something from me, he'll always be my uncle no matter how I feel about him...he's family to me. Him, Hermes and...you too. Acting like a big sister to look out for me even though we've only known each other for three hours now.

Gemma: Big...sister?:Her eyes began to sparkle as tiny tears of joy filled her eyes.: You see me as a big sister?:She rasied her arms up before giving Diamond a big hug.: Squee~Nobody has called me their big sister before!

Diamond: Hahahaha...Gg-gguess I'm the first.:She smiled sheepishly with a sweatdrop beside her head.:

Hermes: Hey guys, you almost finished here..?:He was hovering over carefully, yet a trail of kids was following after him with a couple piggy backing on his back. He had a tiny anime vein on his head as he didn't look like he was enjoying the popularity.:

Diamond: Hahahahaha, looks like you got yourself a fan club, Hermes.:She giggled as she saw the children circled around him.:

Hermes: They wouldn't leave me alone. It's like they've never seen a hovering, talking robotic rabbit before.

Elf Child 1: :Poking his ear cutely as he giggled.: His ear's so hard, not soft like a real bunny.

Elf Child 3: And he's so shiny.:Placing her hands on his body cutely as she tapped it to hear the clanking of the metal.: And makes music!

Elf Child 4: Can he do tricks?

Elf Child 2: Maybe it knows magic tricks.

Elf Child 5: He's like a giant toy.

Hermes: :He blushed a tad embarassed, but annoyed.: I am not a toy! I am a robot with artificial emotions and right now your really getting my nerves.:He looked at the group of kids before letting out a yelp as they playfully tackle onto him cutely.: Ahhh~!

Elf Child 2: Dog pile on Mister Rabbit!

Diamond: :She had nervous sweatdrops around her head as she handed the mirror to Gemma before getting free of her hug.: Children, be careful! Hermes maybe a big metallic toy, but he's not that kind of toy!

Gemma: :She blinked for a moment before looking at her hand to see the mirror that was placed there, then she turned to see Eccentro watching in the distance trying to keep himself from looking undignified by laughing at Hermes' situation.: Just you wait, Your highness. I'll be the one having the last laugh once all your secrets are out.:She pockets the mirror in her handbag before turning to see Diamond trying to distract the children so to get them off of Hermes before a voice called out by making funny faces to doing a silly dance.:

?: Now children, is that anyway to treat people especially around metal golems?

The children, along with Diamond and Hermes, turned to see a middle aged elf in a light purple gown with her blonde hair pinned up in a bun while her glasses stood in front of her hazel eyes that stared at the group of youngsters with a hand on her side.

Briana: Kindly get off Mister Rabbit and apologize for crowding around him.

Elf Children: Yes, Mrs. Everhart.

They slowly got off of Hermes just as he got himself back up, dusting himself off as he watched the children turn around with sad looks on their faces abit.

Elf Children: Were sorry, Mister Rabbit.

Hermes: Uhh...that's okay. Just next time ask me for piggy backs and dog piles okay?:He had a sweatdrop beside his head.:

Mrs. Everhart: Alright now children, get along now-your parents must be wondering where you ran off to and be sure to keep up with your homework. Your assignment on the difference between herbal flora that's helpful, medical and edible and harmful flora that's itchy, poisonous and could be cursed.:She waved to them as she watched them running off to head back home.:

Gemma: Thanks for helping us out, mom.:She rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile on her face.: Another minute and Christopher would of suggested taking him apart. You know how he loves to tinker.

Mrs. Everhart: I know, why just last week in case he modified the pencil sharpener to sharpen four pencils at once, yet the shavings filled up the dispenser quickly than it did with one.:She placed a hand on the side of her cheek.

Diamond: Wait!? Did you say mom!?:She looked at Gemma before looking at her mom, her eyes darted back and forth before gasping with starry eyes when she realized that indeed they were mother and daughter.: Gaspppp~!

Hermes: :He looked over as he watched Prince Eccentro walking to the group, he glared at him in annoyance for he saw how he was watching from the sidelines.: THANKS for TRYING TO help me out back there while I was under Mount Kiddos, REALLLLYyyy appreciate it.:He said sarcastically as he crossed his arms with an anime vein on his head.:

Prince Eccentro: Hehehhehe, it was very amusing and it would seem YOU had it quite under control.

Hermes: Did not! Admit it, you were savoring my humiliation just watching me get poked at, tugged and nearly squashed under a group of eight year olds!:He raised his hand up as he was steaming with anger.:

Prince Eccentro: Better you than me otherwise I'd had it worse if I got snot on my clothes. They've suffered worser stains than you can imagine.

Hermes: Oh yeah? Ever had oil stains on your precious wardrobe because I got an oil can with it's name on it.

Prince Eccentro: Try it and you'll be a tin can!:He leaned down as he gritted his teeth at him.:

Hermes: Ohhh I'll do it alright! Push my buttons one more time and say goodbye to your crisp, clean royal gown!:He gritted his teeth as he growled at Eccentro.:

Diamond: Guys! Guys!:She called out to them before gleefully pointing both fingers at Gemma and Briana as she let out a happy giggle.:

Hermes/Prince Eccentro: Huh?:Question marks formed on the top of their heads as they were confused to what they were seeing.:


	5. Chapter 5: Dinner with the Everharts

Later on, Briana brought the group back to her home and once inside, she led them to the living room so they can relax and kick up their feet for awhile.

Briana: Hahahhaa, I seee~So that's why you came home so suddenly. You not only forgot some of your supplies, BUT YOU picked up some traveling companions to accompany you on your journey.

Diamond: Well Mrs. Everhart, it-:She was soon cut off when Briana raised her hand up.:

Briana: Please, call me Briana. No need to be so proper, young lady.:She smiled teasingly at her.:

Diamond: Miss Briana, it's actually your daughter who is accompanying us-or um we are accompanying her as you said...:She pointed left and then right as her arms were criss crossed for she was getting confused before looking up at her. A sweatdrop formed on the side of her head before rubbing the back of her hair softly.: Well...we can say were accompanying each other together as a big group as were traveling to Solaria's Temple where my mother planned to meet me there and hopefully along the way we can reunite my Uncle with his friends.

Briana: Solaria's Temple? That is quite a journey to go traveling to a sacred landmark.

Diamond: A sacred landmark?:She was confused as she wondered what she meant by "sacred landmark".:

Briana: Yes, you see Solaria's Temple is said to be home of the legendary Sun Dragon who is one of the six dragons of Monworld. It is said that when Monworld was young, she appeared in a sphere of glowing light and blessed the world with the sun so illuminate the land from darkness. She is said to be one of the ancient monsters told in legends, the guardian dragon of the Holy Realm that lended her assistance to the angels during a great war. But since then, she hasn't been seen by mortal eyes-some say once the great war ended, she retired deep within the temple and went into a deep slumber to recharge her strength. Yet another tale tells of another reason, but that can be saved for another time.:She smiled softly at them before waving her hand to the couch.: Please have a seat, my husband should be coming home shortly. I'll get some tea started while I prepare dinner.:She placed her hands together before heading to the kitchen.:

Hermes: Huh...so Solaria's Temple isn't just some religious establishment, it's...it's...:He was trying to find the right words through his startled stuttering.:

Diamond: IT'S a dungeon temple!:Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him with a glow surrounding her being.: Full of traps, monsters, treasure and an incredible ancient monster! Boss or Divine Ally! And mom is going to meet us there!? THAT'S so coool~!

Hermes: How can you say such absurb things!?:He waved his arms around frantically in chibi form.: For all we know, she wants to only just MEET us OUTSIDE THE temple. Why do you think she wants to meet us INSIDE where there's an ancient, powerful monster that may or may not WANT TO eat us if we disturb her slumber!

Diamond: Hermes, Solaria is a Light Monster-right? And her home is the Holy realm even if her temple is between Earth and Holy. And Briana said that she helped the angels in this "Great War" long ago when fighting against demons or some evil force-so she can't be a bad monster.

Hermes: Tell that to the giant bugs that nearly tried to eat us.

Prince Eccentro: Welll it was either that or from any fragrance you might have on.

Diamond: Or food-Maybe they were attracted by the crepes in my bag that I gave later to that kind oldy lady who gave me the bracelet and a magic mirror for free.:She looked down at her left arm as she stared happily at her bracelet for she couldn't help, but admire it then a sudden realization hit her when she realized she HAD Crepes with her and she gave them away.: Ohhh no...I DID HAVE crepes with me...and I gave away my strawberry creamy too...:She lowered her head down in disappointment as she smiled ironically.: But at least they will help her and she might share the others with her bird friends or elderly friends.

Gemma: You know you can be quite a goofball, do you sometimes act clueless on your actions?:She smiled jokingly at her.:

At that moment, the front door opened as a masculine voice ringed out from the doorway.

?: Honey, I'm home!

Briana's voice: Welcome home, dear! Dinner will be in awhile, our daughter's stop by to pick up a few items she forgot and she brought guests!

As he walked into the living room, the well-built man in a baker's outfit (Minus the hat) was holding a bag of bread, fresh and cooled from the bakery he owned not too far away from his home. He had shaggy brown hair that nearly covered his midnight blue eyes as he brushed his bangs back with one hand to take a gander at his daughter and her new friends she picked up on her journey.

Keith: Well now, a day out of town and you already got yourself a traveling party. I'm quite impressed, Gemma.

Gemma: TWO of them are my traveling buddies, ONE OF THEM is EXTRA Luggage.:She pointed a thumb at Eccentro as she gritted her teeth in annoyance.: He tried to swipe my staff.

Diamond: :She pulled herself up on the couch abit before looking at Keith as she raised a finger.: BUT he apologized and she got her staff back. He thought it was a monster item.

Keith: Ah that would explain it-anyone would mistake the Mage's Blessing for a mystical and ancient artifact. It's been handed down in the family for generations.

Diamond: My name is Diamond, this is Hermes.:She pointed to Hermes before pointing to Eccentro.: And that's my Uncle Eccentro.

Keith: A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Keith.:He walked over as he held out a hand to Diamond with a soft smile on his face.:

Diamond: A pleasure to meet you as well Keith.:She held out her hand to shake his hand, but at the moment he took her hand-she found herself lifted up in the air and shaken up and down abit fast in chibi form.: WOooahhH~!

Keith: Hahahhaha! You got quite the hand shake for a human-so light and gentle. ^_^

Gemma: Uhhh~DAD you might wanna ease up on the shaking or she might go through the ceiling.:She had a sweatdrop beside her head seeing how fast he was shaking her from the handshake.:

Keith: :He looked over at Gemma before looking back at Diamond as she was going up and down before halting midway down on the shaking.: Woops! Hahahaha sorry there, miss. I keep forgetting my own strength sometimes.:He lowered her down back on the couch as he released his grip, patting her head softly.:

Diamond: ~ Soo...sooo strong a grip...so many stars...:She swayed a little before falling back onto the couch.:

Prince Eccentro: :He had a nervous smile on his face before yelping when he saw Keith held out his hand to him, waving both hands in front of him.: Ummmm~No thank you, Jazz hands are my way of air shaking your hands-ahahahaha!

Hermes: :He stared at him with anime beady eyes in annoyance.:

Awhile later in the dining room, the family along with Diamond and her companions sat down at the dinner table-There was a bowl of freshly cut fruit, a big bowl of mixed salad with slices of tomato, carrots, jicama and an odd-looking vegetable sliced in the mix with a creamy dressing. The loaf of bread was sliced up with fresh churned butter on a different plate and of course-Soup! It was a creamy vegetable soup with potato dumplings-almost like Gnouchi soup in a way! There was a pitcher of honey lemonade with ice cubes to keep it cool and at the other end of the table were Honey cakes, honey-comb shaped pastries and of course-a jar of honey to drizzle on top just in case!

Diamond: :She blew on her spoon before taking a bite of her soup, her eyes sparkled as she savored the creaminess of the warm liquidy goodness.: Mmmm~! Sooo good! This gnouchi vegetable soup is delicious, Briana. I've never tasted anything like it before.

Briana: Well there's plenty more where that came from, I got a whole pot in the back in case anyone wants seconds or thirds.

Hermes: :He was sipping some carrot oil that he had stored in a compartment to have as his dinner.: Ahhhh~this is my dinner right here...good ole Carrot Oil. That hit the spot.

Keith: You sure you don't want anything, Hermes? Does your carrot oil really help fill you up?

Hermes: It's fine. I'm a robot, so I don't have to worry about physical food. Just good ole fuel and electricity to get me back to top form.:He looked over at Keith as he looked at the food.: Although my eyes are studying and recording the food in front of me as part of gathering information on Monworld Culture.

Diamond: :Picking up a slice of bread as she got a knife to use to spread the butter on.: Hermes is a Companbot that my mother invented-she's a scientist just like my Uncle here.

Briana: I see, how fascinating. The other world must be full of Companbots like Hermes if they only require natural energy.

Diamond: Not only that, but he's ECO-Friendly too.

Keith: Eco-Friendly? What is Eco-Friendly?

Diamond: Friendly for the environment. No hazard to the land, nature or wildlife.

Keith: Ah.:He nodded as he understood it much clearer now than he did abit ago.: So tell us, Diamond-you said that you and your mother went through a "Mon Gate" that brought you here when you were attacked by robed shadowy figures?

Diamond: Yeah, they attacked my home and one tried to suck my blood if it wasn't for Tulip striking him out of the ball park. We ended up getting separated, me and Hermes almost got attacked by Giant Bugs if it wasn't for Gemma, then we caught the thief who took her staff that happened to be my uncle and...umm...here we are?

Hermes: Right now were heading to Solaria's temple, that's what Hinata told Diamond before we got thrown into the gate.

Diamond: I was shoved than thrown?:She looked at Hermes a little confused.:

Hermes: I'd rather been shoved then thrown like a football.:He had a sweatdrop as he looked away for a bit.:

Diamond: Oh, speaking of legends. Do you know who the Mon Colle Knights are?

At that moment, Prince Eccentro was drinking some honey lemonade just as he heard the words "Mon Colle Knights" that made him turn his head to spit out some of his drink, coughing hard for abit before patting his chest when he felt some of the liquid go down the wrong pipe. Why would his nece want to know about those meddlesome brats who kept interfering with his plans everywhere he went?! Was she crazy!?

Briana: Oh! You must mean Mondo and Rockna. That's what they called themselves. Their the heroes of Monworld who united every realm to taken down Redda and the Time Master when they tried to turn our world into nothing.

Keith: United with the Golden Dragon to vanquish that horrid creature back to his realm and as for Redda, he was slain by Sir Gabriolis during the great battle.

Briana: :She took out an old newspaper as she carefully handed it to Diamond.: We kept a copy of the "Monworld Express" that told about their heroism, there's even a picture of them on the front cover.

Diamond: :She took a look at the front page as she gazed upon the Mon Colle Knights photo. Her eyes widen as she saw Professor Hiragi in the background amongst the monsters before a bright smile formed on her face.: Hey! Uncle Hiragi's in this picture too! And I know that girl with the curl in the back of her bobby hair! That's his daughter Rockna Hiragi. I remember the Christmas card they sent us last year with Hiragi being Santa and Rockna was dressed as an elf. I didn't realize she was a legendary hero!:Her eyes sparkle in wonder that her uncle's daughter was a legendary hero.:

Hermes: :He came over as he zoomed in on the picture to take a closer look from Diamond's left.: Hmmm...Yeah I recognize that goofy scruffy haired crazy looney anywhere...man how long's it been since he saw a hair stylist? He needs to do something about that hair...

Diamond: :She kept gazing at the picture as her eyes softened, she scanned the picture a little closely as she seemed troubled.: That's weird...I don't see Eccentro's picture anywhere. He was part of the great battle as well.:She opened the newspaper as she took a look at the different pictures alongside the details of the battle of the century.:

Hermes: Check Under "Coward Runs With Tail Between Legs".:He snickered before he got kicked by Eccentro's foot as he glared at him in anger, fist forming as he shook it violently seeing him turn his head and whistled like he was playing innocent.:

Diamond: Oh! I found it!:She folded the paper before pointing to a picture of him cheering the knights on from the distance with Batch, Gluko and Ms. Loon.:

Gemma: Yeahhh~Seems like he was spectating than helping...:She had a sweatdrop beside his head.:

Prince Eccentro: Well of course-I WAS SPECTATING for awhile before deciding to get in on the action with my crew to help take down that overgrown blob of a Time Master. I fired a missle right at the beast that took it right down, heh! I showed Hiragi up on that one.:He placed his hand to the side of his mouth before letting out an annoying evil laugh.: If it weren't for me, his Eagle would of been cooked!

Diamond: You just keep amazing me more and more, Uncle. It's a surprise that they didn't put your photo on the bottom front of the cover. ^_^

Gemma: Hmmmm~Yeah...that is PRETTY strange.:She stared at him in disbelief, she clearly wasn't buying any of his so-called "tales" even how a "missle" knocked a giant monster like Time Master off his feet and onto his rump.:

Diamond: :She handed the newspaper back to Briana before taking a sip of honey lemonade, her body tingling all over once she swallowed some of the sweet soury, honey lemonadely goodness.: Mmmm~This lemonade is delicious. Just the right amount of honey to balance out the sweet, yet sourness of the lemonade.

Briana: Just wait until you try the Honey cakes and Comb pastry. They Honey comb-shaped pastries are a big seller at my husband's bakery.

Diamond: Gasppp~! YOU own a bakery!?:Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Keith with a huge smile on her face and her fists together close to her chest.:

Keith: Hahahhaa yep...my bakery is one of the many ones around town that are known for our variant honey baked goods when it comes to pastries. No bakery has the same goods on their shelves so its fun to see which ones have the best baked treats in town.

Diamond: I'd love to try one from each bakery and compare it myself! Anything that's sweet can't be beat and you can bet that it's so good to eat!:She waved a finger as she made up a little rhyme.:

Keith: Hahahahaha! Well I hope you got quite a sweet tooth and a savory sweet appetite. Honey Meadow has about four bakerys scattered about the corners of our little town.

Diamond: Four in such a small place. Back home, bakeries are scattered almost in secret corners of districts that you had to ask for directions to get to one, but in a town like this it takes only going either north, south, east, or west. So convenient!

Hermes: Ughhhh~...:He thought, "I can just imagine a stomach ache ready to happen if she goes overboard. Her and her sweets.":

Later on after dinner, Gemma showed Diamond and the group to their rooms. Gemma allowed Diamond to share a room with her while Hermes and Eccentro shared a room across from them which they didn't seem to like the sound of that idea one bit with how they've been at each other's necks for quite awhile. In Gemma's room, her room was lavishing and by lavish a little messy with a couple of bookshelves on opposite sides with books about magic, spells and Monworld history that covered every inch and corner; some of the books had to be stacked on one another on a few shelves along with crystals and some knick knacks she picked up during her travels. Her bed looked like your average bed, but a little more fluff in the mattress and a sea green sheet with flowery patterns stitched into them and a cute little pixie plush next to her pillow. In the center of the room was a burgundy desk and chair that looked chaotic with papers scattered about with a locked journal with splotches of ink on sides of the cover due to the quill's ink splatting on it as a quill holder rested right by the book.

Gemma: Excuse the mess, I haven't had a chance to get some of the areas cleaned up before I left because I was so excited about going on my magey journey to see more of the world and help folks out. Anyway your bed is across from mine.:She pointed to the extra bed that was placed on the opposite side of the room.:

Diamond: :She ran forth toward the bed, placing her bag down before bouncing onto the bed; bouncing a couple times before sinking down in it's cloudy texture as she embraced the marshmallowy softness of the mattress.: MmmmM~It's sooo soft and comfy...almost like a cloud.:She turned over to look at Gemma with a big smile on her face.: So different from a futon.

Gemma: And a futon is?:She had a puzzled look on her face as she stared at her.:

Diamond: It's like a super soft, but flat comforter-like a giant pillow, but bed-like that you roll up and fold up when you wake up, pat it outside to clean it and to fall asleep in.:She laid on her back before placing her hands behind her head.: Like a big sleeping bag without the zipper to keep you snugged in, but you can put a sheet on it to make it feel like a sleeping bag if you tuck the sides in to make it feel like your sleeping in a sleeping bag.

Gemma thought for a moment as a fantasy bubble appeared before her head as she imagined Diamond all snugged up in the "sleeping bag" futon looking like a catepillar-a worm maybe? Or maybe a human spring roll? A blissful smile on her face as she slept happily before it popped when her attention returned to her.

Gemma: I see...sounds quite interesting. You must show me sometime when you and your mom get back home...Speaking of your mom, did you call her on your "Smarts Phone"?

Diamond: I sent her a few texts and a few pics of where me and Hermes are, even left a voice message when she didn't pick up, but I'm sure she'll see them soon and call and/or text back...The signal in this world is REALLY amazing, it'd give Spectrum a run for their money if you had your own cable company here.

Gemma: I don't know what Spectrum or cable company is, but um...thanks?

Diamond: Your family is really nice, Gemma.:She smiled softly at her.: Your mom is a teacher and your dad is a baker! You got the coolest parents in the whole realm. Say let me ask you something, where did you learn your magic from? Your mom or your dad?

Gemma: From both my parents-though you wouldn't think due to their job titles, they're just the jobs they got after they wed. Mom was a White Mage, my Dad a Black Mage-YET he never used a staff but enchanted fist cuffs-He was...:She had a sweatdrop as she imagined her father as a brawler black mage.: Well...let's say he got physical when he cast his spells. He once used a Magma Sphere on his fists to bash a Rock Golem into goo.

Diamond: Coooollll~...:She rested her head on her fists as her eyes were starry from Gemma's tale.: What about your mom?! I bet her white magic was the stuff of legends-did she had to bring anyone back from the dead or near death!?

Gemma: Well...there was this ONE funny story she told me when she was about to revive one of her team mates' from near exhaustion...Okay it all started in a tavern...

Meanwhile in the other room, Hermes was using a piece of chalk to divide the room so Eccentro stayed on his side and he ont he other. He didn't want his "royalness" anywhere near him-sharing a room was bad enough, but having him try to steal his space drew the line-LITERALLY.

Hermes: :He pointed at the chalk line before pointing behind him.: Alright this is MY SIDE-YOU STAY on your side of the line and I'll stay on my side of the line.:He pointed back at him with a tiny vein on his head.:

Prince Eccentro: :He looked at the chalk line before a wicked grin filled his face before using his right boot to brush away the chalk to his left.: Heheheheheh~! Sorry, but no pesky dusty line can keep me in line, Tin Rabbit!

Hermes: Ah!:He saw him dust away a portion of the line before redrawing it, yet kept getting annoyed as he kept brushing it away as he kept redrawing the line back in.: Errrr~! Will you cut it out!?

Prince Eccentro: And will you quit trying to treat me like a criminal!?

Hermes: Because you are a criminal! Listen up, you don't like me and I don't like you! But Diamond likes you because your supposed "family", but if she finds out WHO YOU really are-then she's not gonna like you.:He took out the newspaper he borrowed from Briana earlier.: IT'S FISHY how if you helped the knights that you DIDN'T appear in the front page with them.

Prince Eccentro: I just didn't want to be anywhere near Hiragi.:He had his arms crossed as he looked away.:

Hermes: Then why weren't your "heroics" mentioned anywhere in the article?:He turned the page as he looked over the article a few times.: There was a slight mention, but nothing about blasting a missle at Time Master OR any mention of you helping out-FACE IT, YOur a fraud!

Prince Eccentro: Of course there was only a slight mention because they didn't give me a proper interview for me to tell of my heroism in the battle.:He placed a hand on his chest as he felt insulted.:

Hermes: Heroism my tin hiney! Your nothing, but a coward behind a royal facade!...Your a villain.:He glared at him angrily as he gripped the newspaper in both hands.:

Prince Eccentro: And what if I AM A villain, hmmm?:He turned to him with a smirk on his face.: You going to rat me out?

Hermes: MAYBE I will and maybe I won't, it all depends on you. No matter who tells, the one getting hurt in this will be Diamond...If she learned that half of your tales were lies and that you aren't some hero, she'll be disappointed...she might not trust a word you say nor even talk to you if she finds your just a fraud in a mediocre Prince Charming costume...:He lowered his head sadly as he softened his grip on the paper.: If you truly care for Diamond, if you truly think of her as family...then you'd do the right thing and tell her the truth. Hearing it from you will ease whatever comes next, but that choice is up to you.

Eccentro's gaze softened as he took in every word Hermes was saying-If Diamond learned the truth about who he really is, would she hate him? WOuld she detest him? Would she abandon him in the middle of nowhere with no way to find his way back to the Flying Lion? He lowered down his head as he began to thought deeply (Maybe for the first time to think empathically about his choices and the situation he's found himself in-Pretty rare in his case!). Diamond has been nothing, but kind and caring when they reunited in the forest and she promised to do her best to help him get back just as Gemma promised to get her back home. He took a deep breath before letting out a moanish sigh that turned from sad to plain annoyed then to angry as he fell to his knees abit before ruffling his hair as he was stressing out.

Prince Eccentro: Errrrr~! Alright~...Sighhhhh...I-I'll tell her.:He turned to Hermes with a worried look on his face.: But what if she ends up hating me if I tell her who I really am? What if she detests me and decides she'd be with those annoying brats than me?!

Hermes: I think it's pretty hard for Diamond to hate anybody, she's a very forgiving person. Of course maybe a light scold might come your way, but I don't think Diamond would hate you. You just have to wait to see how she reacts-it's better from you than anyone else because if somebody else tells the truth that'd be betrayal to not tell it directly to the person.

Prince Eccentro: YOu know surprisingly for a tin can rabbit you seem to full of advice. You a therapist?

Hermes: I do got a data file on psychology if that's what your asking, but I'm not a licensed therapist...I don't think Companbots can get degrees.:He thought for a moment with a question mark as he was stumped by his own question.:

As the sun was set outside the town, darkness cloaked the night sky as stars began to light up like tiny candles sprinkled across the night sky-all was calm...at the moment for in the distance of a distant farm, the sheep were sleeping in the field before a sudden quake woke one of the sheep. As the sheep awoke, he bleeped as his eyes widen in terror which alerted the other sheep to awake only for their eyes to catch sight of a terrifying beast that stood 20 feet tall with pitch black fur and a red mane that matched its terrifying red eyes as it stood before the sheep pen. He let out a monstrous roar that sent the sheep running off in the direction of the farm, yet the beast had no interest in having pork chops tonight as his gaze returned to the town that rested up ahead.:

?: Let's save some of the sheep for later once we decimate this town...What were looking for is hiding somewhere in that sickly sweet town...as well as intel on a monster item.:As he grinned it revealed his sharp teeth underneath his masked face.: Hehehehehhahahahaha!


	6. Chapter 6: Darkness Rises, Light Ascends

It was around almost midnight and the town was dimmed except for the street lights as the flames inside flickered softly, their glow the only source of light that kept the darkness at bay from encloaking it. Yet all of a sudden, a stream of dark mist began to sweep through as it took out each candle one by one to blacken the streets before the whole town was covered in darkness! The evening patrol noticed the strange magic going over their heads as they wondered who could of cast such a spell until the sound of a low, grisly growl changed into a mighty howl before one of them took out their binoculars as his eyes widened into saucers and his skin pale like a ghost.:

Patrol Officer 2: Gasp! It's a DREAD BEAST!:He backed up as he felt his knees begin to quiver.:

Patrol Captain: What!?:He ran over to him before he snatched the binoculars to take a closer look, eyes widened in fear as his friend was correct.: It is a Dread Beast...BUT what's one doing here? They only reside in the Realm of Evil...Sound the bells!:He turned to the officer as he looked at the others in his group.: Warn everyone in the town! They must be evacuated to higher ground!:He dug into his pocket before taking out a strange firey orb as he threw it high up in the air, watching it fly higher once its magic was activated due to the velocity of the throw before exploding in the air causing a smokey effect as if to signal the other officers in town.:

In each corner of town, each patrol group saw the signal bomb high in the air that was red (Indicating that the level of the situation was high alert) before scattering around as they began knocking on doors as loud as they could, calling out to everyone while one officer went to ring the western bell as the other went to gather weapons from the Weaponry to combat the monster. As the bells began to ring, back at the Everhart house-Gemma was still awake when she heard the explosions of the signal bombs coming from outside. She turned to her window as she pulled back the curtain to see the color the smoke was and when she caught sight of its color-her eyes narrowed into a serious gaze-Something was going on and it wasn't good if its Red Smoke.

Diamond: :Sleeping peacefully in her bed, yet began to stir when she heard bells ringing in the distance.: Mmmm~...Is it breakfast already? I'll have extra toast with strawberry jam...:She said as she was half awake before rubbing her eyes.:

Gemma: :She got up from her bed as she ran toward Diamond's bedside, getting down on her knees to as she shook her right shoulder.: Diamond, Diamond-you have to get up! The town's in danger.

Diamond: From a giant french toast monster?:She yawned as she opened her eyes to meet Gemma's eyes, which looked between a cross of panic and worry.:

Gemma: Wha...no! It could be a monster or a pack of them. I don't know, but there's red smoke in the air and the bells are ringing. When that happens IT MEANS that it's threatening to the town and to us! Listen to me, I'm going to go check it out. YOU, Hermes and your UNCLE get my folks and GET to the evacuation point on the far side of town, they'll take you to higher ground while the Patrol Squad handles the threat.

Diamond: :Her eyes widened like saucers before quickly standing halfway up on her bed.: What!? But Gemma-you said it's town threatening right?! And if this monster is powerful, won't it take out the team defending the town and you!?

Gemma:..Heh...I've dealt with town-threatening monsters before. If the town's defenders don't phase it, they got me as a trump card. Besides one time when a large pack of rats nearly tried to eat up all the cheese, I used a hypnotism spell to send em back to the woods. So you don't have to worry-I got this.:She smiled softly to her before placing her hands on her shoulders.: And my parents know that...Besides you'll be safer with my parents should anything happen. Now grab your stuff, get your friends and get going.

At that moment the door was knocking fast before Gemma turned before she got up and walked toward the door, upon opening it ajar-she backed away when Eccentro's hands gripped onto the side of the door before peeking in with Hermes.

Prince Eccentro: What is with the racket?! Can't a prince get any beauty sleep with all the ringing and fireworks going on outside!?:He had an anime vein on his face as his teeth looked sharp due to the annoyance of the chaos going on outside.:

Gemma: Oh good, your awake and no you can't get your "beauty sleep" when there's a serious threat going on out there!

Hermes: :He felt his body beginning to shake abit as he tried to hold onto the side of the door.: C-c-c-c-ould it explain w-w-w-why I feel so jj-j-jj-ahahh-CHOOOO!:He sneezed out a monster card that flew toward Diamond.:

Diamond: :She caught the card carefully as she took a loot at it.: Despo the Dread Beast? Never heard of that monster before and such a funny name. It's a Dark-type monster. According to the card: Despo is a monster that feeds on despair and dread. Wherever he goes, calamity is sure to follow right after it...That doesn't sound good.

Prince Eccentro: Wait a minute, you can spit out monster cards?:He looked down at Hermes in curiousity, but amazement.:

Hermes: Apparently so now!:He looked up at him in annoyance.: And I don't like it one bit! It just happens randomly! The first time I spat out four cards and when that happened, four bugs showed up!

Prince Eccentro: So Hinata made her own Monster Detector and she built it into an annoying tin rabbit with a bad attitude.

Hermes: What was that!?:An anime vein throbbed on his head.:

Gemma: Look! We don't got time to argue! You all need to get out of here with my parents and get to the evacuation point!:She pointed toward the door as her face was flushed with anger.: UNLESS YOU wanna stick around to get a BETTER close up of this DESPO, THEN be my guest!

Prince Eccentro:...I think I'd rather not. 0_0'

Diamond: Gemma, are you sure you can handle this?:She placed her hands together as she got up, walking to her with concern for she didn't want anything to happen to her friend.:

Gemma: Don't worry, your big sis got's this covered.:She pointed a thumb to herself with a cocky smirk on her face.: The time I'm through with that Dread Beast, it'd wish to stay in whatever putrid abyss it crawled out of.

Diamond:...:She nodded softly before giving her a relieved smile.: Okay, I trust you...JUST be careful, okay?

Gemma: I will. Now go! THere isn't a minute to waste!:She ran behind Diamond before pushing her toward the door as she opened it wider and pushed her toward Eccentro, who caught her in his grasp. She turned to him as her eyes met his eyes.: Take good care of her-IF the worst should happen to her, I will haunt you if I die in battle.

Prince Eccentro: :He had nervous sweatdrops around him.: Don't say that! That's worse than when Tanaka threatened to haunt me if he ever kicked the bucket! But...don't worry. I won't let anything happen to Diamond. You have my royal word as a prince.:He looked at her with a serious look in his eyes-a rare sight for him to be this serious.:

Diamond: Uncle...:He looked up to him with a soft smile on her face.:

Outside the house, Diamond and her friends followed Briana and Keith out of the house as they dashed off to head to the evacuation point while Gemma opened her bedroom window before she leaped out and landed on the roof of the house next to her and sprinted off like a stealthy ninja heading off to chase down his target. Just near the entrance of town, every patrol officer stood ready with cannons, swords, net orbs-everything they had in the weaponry inventory to take on the threat that was coming their way.

Patrol Captain: Wait until you see the red in his eyes! Don't fire until I say so!-That goes for you too Nate, you fired too early that one time when we dealt with those Wolverines!:He pointed over at Nate as he looked angry at him.:

Nate's voice: Sorry sir...

The Dread Beast was charging forth toward the yet, but began to slow its pace as he saw the officers at the front gate-the figure on top of the creature stood up, all shrouded in a dark robe as his sharp grin was the only thing that shown through before placing his hands into his cloak as if ready to pull out weapons for he could see that this wasn't gonna be a long match: 20 against him and his monster, not much of a challenge to his mind.

Shade: Time to cause a little chaos.:He raised dark twin blades with crimson flames on each side as he held them steady.:

Patrol Officer 3: :He had his binoculars out as he saw the figure on top of the beast.: Sir! The beast isn't alone! He seems to have a Master under his command!

Patrol Captain: A bandit perhaps?...No matter, we won't let them get through! First wave FIRE THE CANNONS!:He waved his right arm out toward the beast.:

The first group of officers lit the cannons as they fired powerful Burst Orbs toward Despo and Shade as he only chuckled at the low level magic that they were using to try to scare them off. His body became wavy as he rose up, blades rised up in the air like wings of a bat before he flew forth and Slice! Dice! CHOP! He sliced the Burst Orbs up that exploded in a firey cloud of smoke that began to cloak the area. The officers coughed heavily as their eyes were stung by the smoke, trying to see where the intruder and Despo were at.

Patrol Captain: Stand your ground! Keep your eyes peeled for the intruder!

Just then the sound of screams were heard as he saw a flash of darkness zip around the smoke, his men getting struck down each hit dark flash that appeared in the air! This intruder must have good eye sight to see through the stinging smoke to know his men's whereabouts. He raised his sword as he kept his eyes locked on his surroundings, there was no way he was gonna be taken out without a fight. Just then he felt a quick rush of wind pass behind him as he turned-his sword meeting his with twin blade holding it back before jumping a few feet back, staring off against the opponent just as the smoke cleared. Ten of his men were injured from the intruder's attacks, luckily the other ten ran toward their aid as they took them to the side lines away from the action to tend to their wounds.

Shade: Well now, looks like you don't miss a thing, Captain. I'm impressed you knew I was right behind you.

Patrol Captain: It isn't hard enough when there isn't much of a breeze going on tonight and the brush of wind going through my hair gave your location away. What business do you and your beast have here?:He raised his sword up and got into a battle stance, ready to attack should the enemy make their move.:

Shade: Me? Well-Me and my friend here are only here looking for intel on a certain monster item that's said to be in your precious realm. I've only just arrived here not too long ago and desolated a couple of towns trying to find out more about it's whereabouts, but the problem was-NOBODY knew.:He shrugged with his hands up in the air as he chuckled maliciously.: And do you know what I do to those WHO DON'T know a THING? I burn their village to the ground and watch as they cry in misery to have lost their precious town...it gives Despo just the fill by feeding on their despair.

Patrol Captain: Grrr...your sick...To attack innocent people and destroy their home is an unspeakable act!

Shade: Look-I just want to KNOW where this monster item is and then me and my furry friend will be on our way...we'll be kind to only take a handful of sheep and some of those Honey pastries to go. No mess, no burning, no desolation...:He waved his blade in his right hand around abit before pointing at him.: JUST TELL me where I can find the item of the Earth Realm and I'll be on my way...but if you don't know...:He tilted his blade as he made a threatening motion at him.: Then Honey Meadows is about to become Ashy Meadows...hehehehehehe..

Patrol Captain: Not while I'm still standing you won't!:He rose his blade before he charged forth at him.: Argghhhh~!

The Captain struck his blade at Shroud, but he blocked it with his right blade before using the left one to slash across his chest. He swiftly move a few steps back nearly missing the blade as it cut through his shirt just a smig before having to move his blade downward to block his right blade from countering to try again at his chest! Shade leaped back as he rose his blades over his head, tapping them slowly before a burst of dark flames came flowing through as he was ready to unleash a powerful attack! He lowered his arms down as if he was forming a circle as a dark moon appeared right between them before his arms were by his side and rose them back up until they were back in the air.

Shade: Dark Lunar Twin SLASH!:He raised his blades down as a powerful burst of dark energy charged forth, split into two as they charged forth at the Captain.:

The Captain raised his blade, ready to deflect the attack, but upon impact he was pushed back as he tried his best to hold it back. Yet the attack was too powerful as it began to crack his sword little by little until finally-Crackle before BAM! The base of the sword was broken into pieces only leaving a small half on the handle as the attack struck the Captain causing him to yell out in pain as he was sent flying back, skidding across the ground as he was injured badly from the attack!

Patrol Captain: Cough...cough...:He had his hand on his chest as he had a X mark that was engraved from the attack, blood was leaking out slowly from the injury he endured.:

Shade: Awwww~Are you done already? I'm surprised your still breathing after that little sword trick of mine. Guess that means I get to have a little fun with you before I send you to the great beyond.:He began to walk toward him slowly as he grinned at him wickedly.: Should I let my pet have you as his chew toy? Or maybe I should cut off your limbs one by one until your nothing, but a big lump? Decisions...decisions...:He stopped by the Captain's body as he glared down at him.: OR I may spare your life as I ask you ONE-LAST-TIME...Where is the Monster Item that resides in the Earth Realm?

Patrol Captain: Cough..cough..:He coughed to the side as he spat out a little bit of blood before returning his attention to Kage.: Even if I knew...where the monster item was hidden...I-I'd never tell you...whatever you have plan for it...you'll never succeed...

Shade: Ohhhh we'll just see about that...:He looked at him disappointed as he tried his best to hide the bubbling anger that grew within him as he raised his blades above his head.: I think I'll just cut to the chase and give you a swift stab in the heart before throwing you to my pet!

Yet before he could thrust down the blades, a powerful energy ball charged forth as it blew the blades right out of his hand that caused him to yelp in surprise and in pain when he felt the heat from the attack on the tip of his fingers, blowing on them to cool them down before looking around to see who was responsible for that magic spell. Near the town entrance, there stood Gemma as she marched forward as her daggered eyes kept lock on Shade, the man responsible for the chaos that is happening in her town. The Patrol Captain raised his head to look to see her coming his way, relieved yet frightened for her safety even though he knew Gemma was a powerful mage, would she be able to combat against a dangerous swordsman and his Dread Beast?

Patrol Captain: G-g-g-gemma...Be careful...

Gemma: :She looked toward him as she ran quickly to his side just as a patrol officer came to the Captain's side. She helped him up before looking to the officer.: Get him medical attention.

Patrol Officer 6: Yes, ma'm!:He put the Captain's arm over his shoulder before carefully dashing off with him the best he could with the Captain's injuries.:

Shade: Well, well, well...what have we? Another HERO has appeared on the scene to defend their putrid, little town from total annihilation?:He chuckled maniacally as he pulled his hood down to reveal his demonic face to her.: And not just any hero, a mage at that and a beauty at that.

Gemma: A demon? What business do you have here that you would threaten our livelihood?:She held her staff ready as she kept lock on her opponent, ready to attack if he tried to strike first.:

Shade: All I was looking for is information regarding a monster item, nothing more...nothing less. Been sent out just a month or two ago by my boss to begin gathering intel on the monster items' whereabouts after that BIG War that went down not too long ago with Redda and the Knights...BIG battle that had the WHOLE WORLD shaking in its boots, but then those pesky knights and the Angels summoned the Golden Dragon to take out Time Master and Redda...he got offed by his subordinate that turned on him!:He walked around in a pace as he reminensce on the war that had two world's existence in danger.: So after all that went down, the dragon vanished and new monster items scattered across the world. So far...we haven't had luck finding them even when we thought that THIS was That...

Gemma: :She had a sweatdrop beside her head with anime beady eyes.: By this was that...like a magic staff or some accessory was mistaken for a monster item...I kinda get that jist I myself had somebody who thought my staff was a monster item.

Shade: ANYWAY so my boss sent me to start getting intel-but it hadn't been easy. Bumpkins out here don't know jack what I WAS talking about and even when some did know-they didn't spill on the location or wouldn't know what I'd look like...so I burn their village to the ground while my buddy feasted on their despair in the few towns we've stopped...and were gonna do the same thing here...UNLESS YOU have some clue. Your a mage, you know all that magical goop and mumbo jumbo.:He waves his right hand in a circular motion as he pointed his blade at her.: So if you could help me out, then maybe I'll spare your pathetic honey mellow dellow town and be on my way.

Gemma:...I'd never help out a monster who would destroy innocent people's homes and feed on their misery...:She gripped her staff tightly as a red aura began to emit around her.:

Shade: Heh...well then if you wish to uphold that information til your dying breath...THAT can be easily arranged.:He raised his blades up ready as he began to glow with dark aura.: In fact my friends would be happy to drag you to the underworld!:He spun his blades before striking the ground.: Rise from your eternal sleep my underlings! Rise up and drag this foolish mage to the depths of Monworld! HAHAHHAAHAHahahahhaha!

As soon as his blades struck into the ground, a sudden quake began to shake the very earth beneath their feet as an illuminating purple mist poured out of the blade as cracks began to appear...bam! A skeletal hand popped out of the ground, then one after another sets of arms began to pop out of the ground before bursting through to reveal skeletal soldiers rising from the ground, donning worned out armor they wore when they were once living as their shields and swords seen better days as they let out a terrifying moan that would make any man shake in their boots. Not Gemma, she took one look at them before she grinned as his attempt to try to scare her wasn't gonna make her spine shiver or submit-it just made this more interesting and an Everhart never backs down.

Gemma: So your a Nercomancer of a Blader? That is quite a rare trait for someone of your kind, but your pack of bones ain't gonna get me down to the dirt anytime soon!:She spun her staff as she held it steady before taking a step forward, swishing her right foot in front of her carefully as she drew a line on the ground that began to glow as if ready to perform a powerful spell.: Tormented souls of the dead, brought to life to do one's bidding, restless spirits who blindly follow the commands of your master...:She took a step to the left as she spun softly, yet she kept her gaze on her footing while keeping close to how her staff's mantle piece was glowing slowly as she was performing the spell.: Return to wence you came! Cleansing Light!:She stopped, yet nearly stumbled to the side if it weren't for her staff to grab onto as she steadied it and raised it above her head.:

As she raised it above her head a bright light grew immense as it swirled above her head before it blasted forth toward the undead soldiers as one by one they were struck by the light, turning to ash upon contact as their armor and weapons fell to the ground. In a serpentine formation, it shifted and turned as if it was a heat seeking missle taking out each target in sight before it turned its attention on Shade who quickly turned into a cloud of darkness as he dodged the attack just as it struck the ground, disintigrating once it struck the ground.

Gemma: Pant...pant...:She gripped her staff with a satisfied expression before she thought, "Good-I didn't screw up this time...if I was off or tripped on my other foot I would of fallen down and caused a spell misfire...but not this time...I don't want my town to see such a humiliating sight...But at least I got all of them...":

As Gemma watched the spell fade away, all the skeletal soldiers were now a pile of dust-yet she didn't see Shade amongst them. She thought she got him, but if she did his pet would of ran in fear of her mighty magic. Did she miss or was he able to dodge it? At that moment, a dark cloud began to descend upon her as she took in the sudden darkness that covered the ground before she looked up and to her horror, Shade materialized with his right blade ready to slice her in the face! She quickly turned and used her staff to block his blade just in the nick of time! Shade backed away as he charged forth at her, but Gemma was ready for him as she projected a barrier around her so to keep his blades from striking her as she fired powerful fireballs at him. Shade sliced each one in half as he dodged a few on his path toward her.

Shade: Hehehhehehe! So your just gonna be on the defensive while firing off your pretty, little fire balls huh!?:He began to strike against her barrier swiftly as if trying to break through to it.: You know your little shield barrier won't help you for long! A crack and a Pop before I slice ya into pieces! It's either that or if you run out of mana to keep it up!

Gemma: I got plenty of mana built up in me to keep me safe as long as possible! I am Gemma Everhart, daughter of Briana and Keith Everhart-Red Mage of this generation! I won't let you bring harm to my town or to the people I love!

Shade: Hheehhee well now LET'S JUST see WHICH WILL last-YOUR Barrier or YOUR mana just long enough to protect your precious family and this sickly sweet town!:He kept striking against the barrier with a maniac look spread across his face.:

On the outskirts of town, everyone has evacuated their home as they were heading to higher ground and amongst them Diamond, Eccentro and Hermes with Gemma's family were among them as they were following the Patrol Officers. Yet just as they were heading up the hill, suddenly Diamond heard a voice call to her-yet it wasn't a voice she has heard before.

?: She needs your help!

Diamond: HUh!?:She stopped as she looked around, yet she saw she was all by herself in a dark place.: W-w-what the?...:She looked around as she backed up a little bit.:

?: Gemma's in danger, Diamond. You have to help her.

Diamond: W-who are you? Is Gemma okay?!

?: I cannot tell you who I am. All I can tell you is Gemma is in grave danger, her barrier is about to break and she will fall if you don't get to her in time.

Diamond: But...but what can I do?:She looked around desperately as she tried to find the source of the voice.: I-I don't know if there is anything I can do to help her.

?: There is a way to help her, but you must go back and help her...Trust in the light Diamond...let the light guide you to where your meant to be.

Diamond: Trust...in the light?:Suddenly she shielded her eyes as a bright light illuminated the area.:

At that moment, she was back in the open fields on the dirt path as her eyes returned to normal-was she under a spell? Or hypnotized without knowing? It was very unusual to her. She rubbed her head before she looked back at the town as she wondered if she should go back to help or continue to follow the townfolks and her friends.

Hermes: Diamond! Why'd ya stop?:He floated toward her with his arms flailing about.: We gotta keep moving! Let's go.

Diamond: I-I can't...

Hermes: Look, I know there's a giant monster and some creepy guy, but it'll be-:He was cut off when Diamond barked at him.:

Diamond: :She turned to Hermes as fury filled her face.: I CAN'T Leave Gemma behind! I have to go back and help her!

Hermes: WHA!?anic strucked his face as he couldn't believe what she was telling him.: Are you out of your mind!? THIS isn't like your video games! THIS IS REAL! REAL, Diamond! And in reality-you don't get another life!

Prince Eccentro: :He halted when he heard Hermes and Diamond arguing.: Huh?

Diamond: I know that! Look! THis is gonna sound weird...maybe strange, but something inside me told me that I HAVE TO GO back...:She kept her eyes on the town as she looked serious.: I owe it to Gemma for saving our lives and now it's my turn to help save hers...no matter what danger she's in...No matter how dark things may seem...I have to trust...:She placed her hand on her heart as she felt a soft wind blow on her face and moved her bangs about.: I have to trust the light and it told me that being by Gemma's side is the place I'm meant to be.:She took off her backpack as she threw it to the ground, bending down on her knees as she opened up her bag and drew her wooden sword.:

Prince Eccentro: Diamond!:He ran forth toward her as he looked down at her.: Don't you even think of doing what I think your about to do! I know crazy when I see it and your talking to a crazy who jumps in even when he knows he's going to lose!

Diamond: :She zipped up her backpack as she picked it up and placed it in Eccentro's hands.: I know it's a ditch effort...I know I don't have magic like Gemma has, but I'm her friend and what kind of friend would I be to abandon her when she's fighting for our lives?:She looked at him as her eyes looked sad like she lose a precious treasure.: BUT I have to do SOMETHING even if that means getting hurt. A Hero doesn't abandon somebody in need OR a friend that's in danger and I'm not gonna abandon on Gemma when she's out there fighting with all her might!

Hermes: But is a wooden sword and a heroic attitude gonna change the flow of the battle she's in now!? Come on! Think about this rationally!

Prince Eccentro: :He looked down at her backpack before looking at Diamond-she was being foolish. She was a foolish, yet a brave girl. It almost reminded him of those foolish brats that he would compete with time and again for monster itmes-their courage, determination and heroism were the keys that kept them going even when things looked bleak, they kept on fighting. He lowered his head as a dark shade covered his eyes and for the first time said the most foolish, yet smartest thing he'd ever find himself saying.: If that's how you feel, then you should go help her.

Hermes: Wait what?!:He turned to Prince Eccentro as he was shocked upon what he just said.: COME AGAIN? DID YOU just give her permission to rush to her doom!?

Prince Eccentro: I'M SAYING that IF SHE FEELS this "Light" that called to her wants her to go back to help Gemma fight whatever wannabe evil-doer is trying to outdo me-THEN BY ALL MEANS SHE is going to go and help her and put that punk in his place!:He glared angrily at Hermes with a huge anime vein on his head before giving him a humph.: Even I wouldn't destroy towns to find a monster item-sure maybe cause a little havoc, but going over the top is going over the top!

Diamond: Uncle Eccentro...:She blushed as she was amazed upon what he said, but got confused by the "evil-doer" and "havoc" to "evil" in his speech.: Wait did you say evil?

Prince Eccentro: Uhh~!:His seriousness soon turned into shock as his eyes went beady-like as he rubbed the back of his head before letting out a foolish laugh.: Hahahhaa, uhhh yeahh~Would it be alright if I explain about all that AFTER the town is saved? I don't want to put anymore weight on you than you already got with wanting to go back to save your friend.

Diamond: :She nodded softly to him before she ran to him, putting her arms around him as she gave him a big hug.: Thank you, Uncle. You and Hermes stay safe okay? I'll be back soon.:She released him before giving Hermes a hug.: Hermes, don't be too hard on Uncle okay? And keep Gemma's folks safe.

Hermes: Diamond...:She looked at him sadly before placing his arms around her.: Just don't end up too damaged or killed-got it?! Your mom won't ever forgive me if you die!:He put on an angry look that would scare a pack of gorillas.:

Diamond: :She released him before laughing softly as she nodded to him.: Don't worry, just who do you think your talking to? An OTAKU that's what and this Otaku Heroine is gonna put that evil-doer in his place even if I gotta subdue him into boredom or annoyance if my wooden sword doesn't cut it!

Hermes: So your gonna bore him with knowledge about anime and video games?:He had a sweatdrop beside his head.:

Diamond: That or throw rocks at him. Don't worry-I GOT THIS!:She gave him a thumbs up before gripping her wooden sword as she turned toward the town.: Right! Time for this heroine to make her grand rescue debut! Diaaamonnnddd Akkkiimooottooo!:She dashed off like a bullet with a trail of dust behind her.:

Hermes: And there she goes...I don't know if I should be scared or relieved, but I got digital butterflies in my stomach that it would turn out good or bad...:He lowered his head before he sighed softly as he turned to Prince Eccentro.: Ya know, that had to be the dumbest thing you ever said.

Prince Eccentro: I think it was more smart than dumb...That look in her eyes...it reminded me of those pesky brats every time we fought to get a monster item...no matter how dangerous or how dire the situation, they never gave up...and my niece has that same look in her eyes. And yet...she isn't a knight...but she's risking her life to save that mage of a witch from losing her life to some wannabe trying to outstage me.

Hermes: That's Diamond for you, she always puts others before herself because she loves them and considers them like family or friends no matter if you just met her for an hour. Why one time at a convention, she helped a Yusuke cosplayer find his Pu plush that fell off him even checking the garbage cans. Turned out it was at the lost or found, but she went to great heights to help the guy out. That's just the kind of person she is. She even gave her crepes to an old lady without realizing it. She's a kind person with a big heart and sometimes that big heart of hers can get her into trouble.

Prince Eccentro: Heh no matter a heart, you get in trouble if you have a good heart or a bad heart. It's how you handle that trouble when it comes your way.

Hermes: Was it running with your tail between your legs or actually fighting?:He glared over at him in annoyance.:

Prince Eccentro: Uhh...:He twiddled his fingers together as he looked embarassed.: One or the other, both sides of the coin actually...I've done more fight than running..even if retreating is a kind of running.

Hermes: SIghhh~...:He shook his head in disappointment.: =_=

As Diamond sped off back to town, she kept heading straight as she passed by the water fountain in the town square and passed the closed up shops that scattered the market before she saw the entrance of the town in sight where she got a glimpse of the Dread Beast, watching on as his master was striking against Gemma's barrier which at the moment was slowly beginning to crack with every strike!

Diamond: Gasp!:She halted just a few feet from the entrance as she watched Gemma doing her best to fight back using bursting spheres to strike him back, but he just kept slicing them in half and continued to hack away at the barrier. Her eyes widen in shock, but in amazement for right before her eyes a REAL battle between good and evil was unfolding before her! She shook it off for this was not the time to get all nerdy, it was the time to be nerdy heroic! She held her bokuto in both hands as she steadied her breathing, getting into a ready stance as she waited for the right moment to charge in.: Okay Diamond...you've seen a thousand ways for the hero to jump right in to save their friend...JUST wait for the RIGHT moment...the right second...Don't mess this up...you got this...:She gripped her sword tighter as she kept her eyes on the battle.:

As she waited on the sidelines, back on the battlefield the climax to the fight was nearing its end as Gemma watched in horror as her barrier was forming more cracks the more Shade struck against them, yet on the next blow-Crackle...BAM! The barrier was destroyed and when it went down-Strike! Shade round housed Gemma as she was sent flying into the air, crashing into the ground by five feet as she released her staff that slid a few inches from her due to the impact. She reached out to grab it, but cried in pain when Shade slammed his foot down on her arm to keep her from trying to get her weapon.

Shade: Awww~Seems like your barrier broke before your mana ran out. That was quite a fun little match we had back there, but I'm afraid this is where it ends...:He raised his blades up as he was ready to deliver the final blow.:

Gemma's eyes grew in horror as he saw his blades ready to charge down on her and pierce right into her body, but suddenly her fear turned to confusion when she heard a battle cry as she turned her head slowly to the side and she couldn't believe who was charging forth at them! It was Diamond! She came back to try and help her-the foolish girl! The foolish idiot! The dumbest idiot! She wasn't supposed to be here! What was she thinking!? Shade was caught off by Diamond's battle cry as he turned his gaze upon her only to nearly get struck in the face by her bokuto as she was just close enough to strike it down to try to hit him on the head. He leaped back by about three feet as he steadied his footing as he wondered who this wannabe hero was.

Diamond: :She stood in front of Gemma as she gripped her bokuto tightly, eyes burning with fury as she gritted her teeth.: Pant...pant...I won't let you take ANOTHER step toward her!

Gemma: Diamond!? What are you doing!?:She lifted herself up abit as she looked up at Diamond as she was furious that she'd come back to help.: I TOLD YOU to get out of here with my family and your friends! Are you trying to get yourself killed!?

Diamond: Maybe, but something inside of me told me that I had to come back to help you. It told me that the barrier would break and you'd fall if I didn't come in time...and that voice...it was right. I saw it with my own eyes...and I came just in the nick of time before you got killed.:She turned to her as small tears formed in her eyes.:

Gemma: Diamond...

Shade: Hheehhehee! Well, well~What have we here? ANOTHER pesky hero? A friend of yours perhaps?:He grinned as he eyed Diamond with a wicked glee.: Hehehhehe, another opponent to strike down. Yet this should be easy considering you only got a toothpick to fight me with.

Diamond: It's a bokuto! Not a toothpick!:She glared at him as she had an anime vein on her head.:

Shade: Bokuto? That's an odd name for a toothpick, no matter your little "BOKUTO" is gonna be snapped in half along with its master. Or perhaps once I take you down, I'll give it to my precious pet-he's been looking for a fetching stick.

Diamond: There's no way your beast is getting drool or bite marks on Tulip!:She got into a battle stance as she was ready to charge once again.:

Shade: Hehhehehe! Tulip!? You named your "bokuto" TULIP? What a funny name for a weapon.

Diamond: Oh yeah what do you call your blades? Lefty and Lucy or Swift and Slash?

Shade: I call them Havoc and Gore. Allow me to show you how they got their precious names!:He spun his blades around as they began to glow with a dark aura.:

Gemma: Diamond...JUST run...pleasee...:Her face was white as a ghost as she was starting to tremble in fear for her friend.: I DON'T want you to die because of me, save yourself.

Diamond: Then what kind of friend would I be to leave you behind. Gemma, you saved me...now it's my turn to save you...Please...trust in me...

Shade lowered his blades before rising them up as a dark red energy began to encase around him as if forming a moon formation while Diamond held her sword up, tilting it into a defense position as she changed her attack mode to defense mode knowing that if she can block it, it won't effect her too much or so she hoped from what she learned in video games.

Diamond: Trust...in...the...light.:She spoke those words softly for somehow she believed with all her heart that the voice that guided her would not fail her now.:

Shade: Say GOODBYE PINKIE! Double BLOOD MOON MASSACRE!:He slashed the immense dark crimson energy toward her as it split in half as it charged forth at Diamond.:

At that moment, DIamond's bracelet began to shine brightly as a burst of light came pouring out and formed a protective barrier around her and Gemma just as the dark blooded double slash struck against the surface only to dispersed.

Shade: What the?!:He was confused as to what he was witnessing! How could a pesky little girl create such an immense barrier that could cancel out his attack.: What sorcery is this!? My-my attack didn't hit her! Is she a magic wielder too!

Within the light barrier, Diamond was rising up in the air while her bracelet kept glowing. It transformed from a regular bracelet into an angelic gauntlet-like bracer before the symbol of the Light/Holy Realm flew out as it charged into her chest. As the heavenly energy entered into body, her clothes began to glow as they were undergoing a miraculous transformation-well a magical girl type of transformation as they became that of a royal princess outfit-Well more like a knight-like royal princess as the colors matched her favorite colors white and blue-even the cape donned a royal blue that appeared on her back as a closeup showed angelic earrings appear on her ears as her hair is pinned up into a short bun with a royal crown that appears right on her head-donning a yellow gemstone in the center before she opened her eyes as they shined for a second before she looked at her bokuto sword, reaching out as she grabbed it and it began to glow before...Sparkle! It transformed into a real sword as she swung it forth and landed safely on the ground as she stood heroically with her sword by her side.

Once the barrier vanished, Diamond stood there before Gemma and Shade as they were both shocked, bewildered, yet confused upon her sudden transformation. Gemma didn't take her eyes off for one second on Diamond-she just transformed right before her eyes! And what's more, she possessed a Guardian Gauntlet! She only heard tale of such a relic that only the guardians in the old legend would wear, but she thought it was just a myth!

Gemma: No way...Diamond's...a...a guardian?

Diamond: :Her eyes glowed softly as if there was something possessing her at the moment.:

Shade: Heh! So you've been holding out on me, have you!? Well a flashly upgrade to a new wardrobe and a flimsy sword ain't scaring me, missy!:He charged forth as he leaped up high in the air as his came forth with his blades in front of him.:

Just when he thought he was going to slash her into pieces, she blocked his blades swiftly with her sword as if she predicted his very move! This caused confusion and frustration to build within him as he continued to strike against her, but each strike was deflected by her sword with such ease and precision!

Shade: :Inner thoughts, "What the! What is this!? She's deflecting every strike I throw at her! Just who is this child!?":

Diamond: :She watched as he leaped back to rethink his strategy which gave her the perfect opportunity to make her move. She placed her hand over her sword as she hovered over it from base to the tip as it began to illuminate with a radiant light before she charged forth at him. Keeping her eyes locked on him as she raised her blade before sending out a powerful light slash at him.:

Shade: Ah!:He raised his blades to deflect the attack, yet as he tried to hold it back he noticed his weapons starting to crack under the pressure of the immense energy that was pushing against them!: Hmph?! Ahhhh~!:His eyes widen in horror as his double blades broke in his hands as he was suddenly struck by the immense blow of the slash which sent him flying straight into the ground.: Uhhhhh... _

Gemma: :She was paralyzed as her eyes were focused on the fight that just unfolded before her eyes-in just one attack she not only blew him right off his feet, but she destroyed his blades! She thought to herself, "No way...she took him down in just one attack...":

Shade: :He got up slowly with a hand over his chest from where the attack struck him, turning his gaze toward Diamond as he growled in anger, but in annoyance to be defeated.: Errrr~! Y-yyou! How dare you! You destroyed my precious babies!:He held his broken blades in the other hand as he had an anime vein on his head.: Just who exactly are you!

Diamond:...:When she opened her mouth, a different voice spoke right through her as the entity within began to speak.: I am the Guardian of Light. THat is who I am and you are nothing, but a mindless fool to do your master's bidding. He will never succeed in opening the seventh realm between our worlds. Where Redda failed, so shall he for the guardians will ensure that'll never happen.

Shade: Guardian, huh? Hehehehehe...:His disappointment turned into glee as his grin widened into a psychotic smile as he began to chuckle.: The Guardians of Monworld are just an old fairy tale and here your telling me that right before me YOUR one of these "legendary guardians" who's finally coming out of hiding after so many centuries?! DOn't make me laugh!

Diamond: It is just as I said. The Guardians of Monworld have been chosen even before your master took over for his master before him...This girl is one of the chosen who are destined to save Monworld from a great calamity.

Shade: Is that so? Hehehhehe...wellll WHAT WOULD happen if your savior DIED before she had the chance to save this precious world of yours?...Dread Beast-I think it's time for a snack...:He pointed his hand toward Diamond as he laughed maniacally.: Devour her! Devour her despair! Devour her light! Devour heer very being!

Dread Beast: Rooooarrrrr!~:He raised his head letting out a mighty roar as he got up as he stood before his master, licking his chops as he was ready to dash forth to eat Diamond.:

Diamond: :Her eyes began to glow as she began to radiant with light that surrounded her, placing her hands together as the energy around her began to take the form of angelic wings that rose above her.:

The Dread Beast ran forth as he was ready to pounce onto Diamond, but the angelic wings that rose up began to flap as the energy that formed them flew forth like a powerful tsunami as a great wind struck against the monster. He tried to keep his ground, but the immense power of the attack sent him flying back toward Shade, who got hit by the monster as they were both sent flying straight through the air in an illuminating tornado that sent them higher into the atmosphere.:

Shade: Ahhhhh~! I-I'll be backkkkk~! You haven't seen the last of meeeee~! _

As they were sent high into the sky, they vanished into the night as a faint star twinkled to indicate their exit. Back down on the ground, Diamond fell to her knees as her blade pierced the ground as she held onto the handle as her clothes glowed once more before reverting back to her civilian clothes, her hair came down as her crown vanished upon her head. She was exhausted and overwhelmed by the immense power that flowed through her that she collapsed against the sword just as Gemma regained her composure, grabbed her staff and ran toward her friend after seeing her lose consciousness.

Gemma: Diamond! Diamond!:She helped her up onto her feet as she looked at her face to see her eyes closed, but she was breathing which was a good sign.: Sighhh~She's alright...Diamond...

Not too far from town, a mysterious figure in a green robe had saw the events that just unfolded right before her eyes as her green eyes shined abit in the moonlight.

?: Soo...the Guardian of Light has finally been chosen at last and another worlder at that...Oracle, you sure have your picks and you chose an Earthling to become one of the saviors of our world.


	7. Chapter 7: Diamond the Guardian

The following morning in Honey Meadows, the villagers were reading the latest issue of "Honey Daily" that just got off the presses early in the morning that told the events that happened last evening and wouldn't you know it-Diamond was on the front cover valiantly taking down Shade with the headline reading: "Guardian Triumphs Against Invader"! Right below was another in bold font that read: "A Legend Come To Life!" It would seem whoever stayed behind in town got great angle shots of the battle from the Patrol Officer's attempt to Gemma's battle with Shade, but the biggest article in the paper told of the revival of the Guardians and Diamond is living proof of that! Speaking of Diamond, back at the Everhart's home, she was resting in bed as Hermes was by her bedside since Gemma brought her back home once everyone returned to town safely when the threat was neutralized. Luckily she wasn't hurt physically, but she was in a deep sleep that she was almost about to sleep in by lunch time! Hermes wasn't the only one who was concerned for Diamond's health, Eccentro was sitting in a chair as Gemma had a copy of Honey Daily, pacing around the room as she couldn't get her head of what she saw last night.

Gemma: I couldn't believe my own eyes myself...I mean THERE she was about to get blasted into oblivion until this bright light shined out of her and then...then she...SHE took him out with just TWO attacks. Sent him and his beast flying to the other side of Monworld.:She held out her arms as she was still in disbelief.: And what's more...she's a Guardian. THAT'S what's shaken me the most-their just a story, a legend! But not so legend anymore...Huh!?:She felt the newspaper snatched from her hand by Eccentro before turning her gaze to him, an anime vein formed on her head after he took her paper.: Hey!

Prince Eccentro: :He was flipping through the newspaper as he was astonished of each page that told of the event's last night, yet there was pictures of Diamond, the Patrol officer and Gemma.: Well legend or not, whatever she did-she's on every page of your little town's newspaper! And you and that so-called Captain got a few head shots and a few paragraphs on your efforts.:He grinned jokingly at Gemma.: Looks like my Little Niece stole your spotlight on being this town's defender, heheehhehe!

Gemma: :She gripped her fists by her side as she was steaming.: Can you take this seriously!? The title of Town Defender isn't important right now! What's important now is HOW she did it? Or WHO gave her that power? I mean...According to legend the Guardians are chosen by the Golden Dragon by blessing them with the Guardian Gauntlet which acts as a GUARDIAN'S way to tap into their element...:She placed her hands on her head as she was trying to think.: Or a mystic...I mean the stories varied it was either the Golden Dragon or a Mystic that acted as the Golden Dragon's representative.

Hermes: Guess the tales kinda vary on just who blesses one with divine elemental magic and destined to save the world from some CALAMITY?:He raised an eyebrow at Gemma before he turned his suspicion to Eccentro as his eyes narrows at him.: Hmmmmm~Can it be ANY CALAMITY small or big and from wannabes like Princy here?

Prince Eccentro: Hey! I resent that, Cotton Tail!:He raised his fist up to him with an anime vein on his head.:

Gemma: That's the thing...NOBODY knows what kind of calamity is mentioned in the old tales, only that it will be the Guardians' duty to take down whoever may cause it before it can do any dimensional global damage to our worlds.:She shrugs with her hands up in the air.: But...I don't understand...why would it choose her? She isn't from my world.

Prince Eccentro: So were the MoN Colle Knights, but they somehow had this weird Mind-Spirit-swirling power to bond with monsters and TAKE OUT MY monsters I take control of.

Hermes: Using something called a "Skitzo Beam"?:He used quote fingers as he glared at him.:

Prince Eccentro: Yes! I mean how else was I going to control them!? Put a leash around them and make them do my bidding?! No it'd be mauled the instant I try to or if getting the leash on them!:He waved his arms up and down in chibi form.:

Gemma: Still the thought of Mind Melding...It isn't common. It's a very rare ability no matter if it's man-made or mystic...Something mind melded with Diamond before the blade's attack hit her. That could explain why she didn't sound like herself when she spoke to Shade.

Hermes: If Diamond was awake, she'd say it was "Spirit Unity" like in Shaman King...:He turned to Diamond with a sad expression as he patted her chest abit.: Sighhh~I wish she would wake up soon. She's never slept in this long except the time she had that all night game-a-thon and grinded up so many levels.

Gemma: Well since she just awakened her powers, it must of took a lot of energy out of her-double it if she was possessed by this entity that had hold of her.:She walked over to Diamond as she bent down to Hermes level, gazing sadly at her.: But if it wasn't for that entity...the light that told her to go back for me...I wouldn't be here right now. She's a very brave girl. Foolish, but brave.

Diamond: :She began to stir as her eyes were starting to open up slowly.: Mmmm~...

Hermes: Gasp! Hey look! She's waking up!:He pointed his hand to Diamond as he leaned in close with eyes starting to get wobbly.:

Diamond: Mmm...:She slowly began to open her eyes slowly as her vision was a little blurry when she saw Hermes.: Ohhh~Good morning, Hermes?

Hermes: Mmmmmm~! Wahhhhh! DIAMOND! Your okay!:He leaped onto her as he wrapped his arms around her as he began to cry ballistically.: WahhhhH~!

Diamond: WOah!:She was surprised by his sudden hug as she laughed abit, patting his back with her hand.: Hahahaha, what's gotten into you? Was I pretending to Play Possum or something? I was just sleeping, Hermes. HUmans need their shut eye just as you need your charging and rest mode.

Hermes: I-It's not that! Y-y-y-ou have any idea how worried I was when you ran off to play hero!? Trying to take on some psychopath of a Necro Swordsman!?:He nuzzled against her before he was pulled away by Eccentro and tossed to the side.: Ah!:He landed on his head as stars circled around him.: Owww~ _

Prince Eccentro: Diammmonnnd!:He grabbed her as he held her close, shaking her around abit in his passionate hug. Tears running down his face as he was dreadfully worried about her well-being.: Your okay! Thank goodness! Don't you ever scare you Uncle like that again, you hear me missy! But I'm so happy your okkayyyyyy ahhhhhwaaaahhhh~!

Diamond: O_O Uhhhh~...I-I'm sorry that I scared you, Uncle Eccentro. But...I'm a little confused as to why everyone is acting so strange? First Hermes and then you? Did something happened that made you worried about me?:She had question marks above her head as she looked up to him.:

Prince Eccentro: Huh?:He stopped crying before looking down at her, he placed her back on the ground as he looked her in the eyes.: You mean...you don't remember running off to save that foolish mage from being killed?

Diamond: :She placed her hand on her head as she ruffled her hair abit trying to remember last night's events.: Hmmmm...Let's see...I remember we were evacuating the town...and when we got to the hill...ah~!:She snapped her head up as she looked up at him.: I remember! A voice! A voice was calling to me to go back to the town to save Gemma! Hermes was like, "Don't you dare think about it, Diamond! This is reality not some anime!" and you were like, "Let her go-If this light tells her to go, she has to go and help save her friend from a horrible fate!":She mimiced Hermes and then Eccentro as she recalled last night's events before looking at him.; I grabbed by sword and ran back, I was able to stop that creep's blade from striking Gemma...then he did some swooshing motions with her hands before he sent a slash of dark energy at me and...and after that..I don't remember...Wait...IF I don't remember would that mean..:Her eyes widen before she backed up, patting herself down even peeking inside her top abit. THen sat down as she checked her feet, then turned around at her hair before letting out a sigh of relief.: Sighhh~Welll I don't seem to have any injuries or missing any limbs and I can't be dead since you can hug me, Uncle.:She sat legs crossed before she watched Gemma walk over to her, snatching the paper from the chair where Eccentro placed it.: Hmmm?

Gemma: :She took a deep breath before bending down to Diamond as she showed her the paper.: I think I CAN fill in the blanks to your story.:She pointed to her picture with a serious look crossed on her face.: Take a look at this.

DIamond: :She took the newspaper as she saw the front page, but what shocked her was she was staring at her picture-yet it didn't look like her. The Diamond in the photo was dressed like a royal princess knight and wielding a sword.: What the...is that?...Is that me?

Gemma: Yes, it is. THe moment the attack struck you, we were coated in light that defended us and when it vanished-you...you turned into the legendary Guardian of Light. You took Shade down in just two attacks-him and his beast...DIamond your a guardian.

Diamond: :She looked up at her as her eyes widen in surprise and her body was stiff as a statue when she was told she was a guardian.: Wait...Hold on.:She raised her right hand to her before lowering it as she let out a chuckle.: Hahahaha...that's a good one, Gemma. Me? A guardian?...What's a Guardian?:Confusion filled her face as question marks popped up above her head.:

Gemma: Ah!:She anime fell back before getting back her composure with her hands on her kneecaps as she glared at Diamond.: Oh right, you don't know what Guardians are since this is all new to you. Well you see Diamond, Guardians are the defenders of their realms. In ancient tales, they were said to keep the order of the realms from being thrown into chaos or fall to calamity and despair from a great threat that would threaten its very well-being. It is said the Golden Dragon or a Mystic chose the guardians from each realm to keep such calamity from happening. Although the calamity and what we know of the guardians is still a mystery to our world.

Diamond: I see so the Guardians are like Monworld's trump card or Avengers should a huge threat tries to destroy this world or others.

Gemma: Ummm...yes, you can put it like that.

Diamond: But what makes you think I'm a guardian?

Gemma: Because you bear the Guardian Gauntlet that your wearing.:She pointed to her left arm as she turned her attention toward the angelic bracelet band.:

Diamond: :She followed her gaze toward her left arm and she saw that the bracelet that was once there was now an angelic bracelet band with a sun mark in the center with an angelic insigma embedded inside of it.: Ah! My bracelet! What happened to it!?

Gemma: It changed when you became the Guardian of Light. Diamond...That merchant you gave your crepes to...the one who gave you that bracelet and mirror...I think she a Mystic in disguise.

Diamond: No way...So your telling me that I WAS given a magical item by a real life mystic?:Her eyes widen before her eyes sparkled big almost like her smile: THAT IS sooo coool!:She leaped up before landing on her feet, staring happily at her bracelet band.: This is so like something like in one of my shows! The protagonist was an average kid until given a special device or object that grants him great power! At first he doesn't realize he wielded such power until it happens like lightning striking twice!:She raised her left arm in the air with sparkles around her.: And now I'm the protagonist of a magical fantasy Isekai anime granted an incredible gift! This is Awesome Sauce!

Gemma: :She laughed abit sheepishly with a sweatdrop beside her head.: Well you seem to be processing this pretty well.

Diamond: Well of course I am! This is the coolest thing ever!:She gripped her fists together as she looked at Gemma.: And I'm a Guardian from Earth which makes me super rare, right!?

Gemma: Well...yeahhh...:She placed a few fingers on her chin as she thought for a moment.: Which is unusual...a Guardian chosen from Earth. I've never heard of an Otherworlder being a Guardian to Monworld before.

Diamond: Well this is the first then!:She placed her hands on her hips with a big grin on her face.: Diamond Akimoto, Guardian of Light! Defender of Earth and Monworld! I like the sound of it and my story's already began with being on the front cover!...Uh! I'-I'm sorry, Gemma.:She looked at her with a sad look on her face.: I stole your thunder by taking the credit for saving the town. You risked your life to keep that creep and the beast at bay when you were saving everyone.

Gemma: Oh don't worry about that.:She waved her hand side by side as she smiled sheepishly at her.: I'm still getting a large credit for that along with the Captain of the Patrol Squad. And speaking of which, he and his men should be making a full recovery at the Town Hospital. So there wasn't any casualties except for some sprains, deep cuts that didn't reach the organs and nobody lost their eye sight or any limbs either. And I healed up nicely thanks to the medicine the doctor gave me.

Diamond: And a Mana Potion to recover your mana after you kept up that barrier to keep that guy from slicing you up into Pepperoni.

Suddenly Diamond's stomach began to growl as her face grimaced before falling to her knees as she wrapped her arms around her body.

Diamond: Ughhhh~S-s-s-s-speaking of food...I'm so very hungry all of a sudden...

Gemma: Well of course your gonna feel hungry and fatiqued after fighting a creepazoid and awakening your power for the first time!:She gripped her fist abit as her teeth fanged abit.:

Hermes: :He got up as he rubbed his head before turning to Diamond as he hovered to her.: We'll get some breakfast in abit to help get you back into tip top form.

Diamond: Will there be crepes or a nice big slice of toast with peanut butter and jelly on it? Or just peanut butter?:She turned to him as she smiled softly.:

Hermes: We'll see what we can do.:He patted her shoulder abit as he smiled to her.:

Gemma helped Diamond up and the group headed out of the room one at a time as they headed down the hall toward the staircase, yet even as they began to descend down they noticed a large group of people flooding the entrance way to the front door and were on opposite sides of the staircase along with Keith and Briana, who did their best to keep the paparazzi and fans from coming in.

Villager 3: Gasp! Look! There she is!:She pointed toward Diamond with a big smile on her face.:

Villager 2: The Guardian who saved us from that horrid Necro Blader!

Diamond: Huh?:She tilted her head in confusion as she had a blank expression on her face.:

She wasn't the only one with blank looks on their faces as the group stared at the massive mob of people crowding the staircase before a few ran up with stars shining brightly in their eyes as more came up behind them as they cheered frantically for Diamond.

Villager 5: Three cheers for the Guardian of Light! Hip Hip!

Villagers: Hurray!:Raising their fists in the air with huge smiles on their faces.:

Villager 2: Hip Hip!

Villagers: Hurray!

Villager 1: Hip Hip!

Villagers: Hurray!

Diamond: 0-0 Guardian of...Light?:She looked at her friends before pointing at herself as she was still wrapping her head around her new title.: Oh that's right...you mean...me, right?

Villager 2: But of course! Who could have thought the old stories were true! And here you are as clear as a honeycomb shining in the sun!

Villager 3: We don't know how we can thank you for saving us!

Villager 1: Not just us, but Gemma as well! We heard you saved her just before she got stabbed into swiss cheese!

Diamond: Well of course...Gemma's my friend. It's the least I can do for her saving my life when we first met.:She smiled softly as she turned to Gemma.: And she deserves a great deal of credit for putting up a great fight against that Necro Blader.

Hermes: Necro Blader? They must be talking about that Shade guy.:He had a sweatdrop beside his head as he had his arms crossed.:

Gemma: Mom, Dad. Didn't you guys try to keep them back? Its as if the lead singer for Mystic Spinal was staying with us.:She had a tiny anime vein on her head as she turned to her parents.:

Briana: We apologize dear, we did our best to keep them at bay...:She placed her hands together apologetically as she smiled sheepishly toward them.:

Keith: But they found a way in by the open windows AND ramming the front door wide open to get a glimpse of their savior.

Gemma: I knew, I knew I SHOULD OF PUT up a barrier around the house if I KNEW this was gonna be a home invasion!:She stomped her foot softly on the platform.:

Villager 4: Tell us, Guardian of Light.

Diamond: Diamond. Diamond Akimoto.:She raised her hand slowly as she felt a little embarassed to be called a Guardian even though the first time she awoke her powers was due to an unknown force and she didn't recall how she won the fight until reading the newspaper of her first fight.: You don't need to call me by...well...Guardian of Light. Just Diamond will do.

Villager 2: Of course, Diamond. Is there anyway we can repay you and Gemma for saving our home?

Prince Eccentro: I could think of ONE THING you can repay her with a monster it-Owww~:He was kicked in the shin by Hermes as he jumped up and down abit, holding his leg.:

Gemma: :She turned around before giving Hermes a thumbs up as if telling him, "Good job, Hermes.":

Hermes: Heh!:He returned a thumbs up back at her.:

Diamond: Well...the only thing I can think of so far and the only thing on my mind is...food.:She placed her hand on her stomach as she blushed a little embarassed.:

Villager 1: Then we'll hold a great feast in your honor!:He raised a finger up in the air.:

Villager 3: Oh! Or a festival!

Villager 2: Why not a party in her honor!

Villager 4: Why not all at once! It'll be a celebration nobody will ever froget!

Villager 5: Unless their hung over!

Some of the villagers laughed heartfully as they began to disperse back outside as they hurried off to begin preparations for the greatest party Honey Meadows has ever held. Diamond and her friends watched as they left until it was only them and Gemma's parents as Briana closed the door behind her while Keith looked at all the dirty foot prints on the ground as he sighed with a hand on his face.

Keith: Sighhh~ya know even a mob should know that you have to CLEAN your shoes before entering a household.

Briana: :She giggled softly to her husband as she patted his arm.: They were just overexcited, dear. Don't worry-the dirt will come out. I'll clean it up right after breakfast-Our heroes need a mighty breakfast to befit their might after taking out a Necro Blader and that Dread Beast. Before that mob came crashing through, I was just finishing up whipping up a pile of fluffy pancakes and other assortment of goodies.

Keith: I even baked a nice fresh loaf of Foccaia bread to go with the meal.:He turned to them with a big smile on his face.: Still warm from the oven and all sliced up for your consumption.

Diamond: :She began to drool abit after Briana mentioned pancakes.: Sighhh~Pancakes sound really good right now with lots of butter and maple on them. ~3~

Hermes: Oi Vey...:He chuckled abit as he smiled at Diamond seeing that goofy expression on her face.: Just don't go overboard with the syrup otherwise you'd be known as the Guardian of Maple Syrup.

Diamond: Hahahahhaha...that's a good one, Hermes.:She snickered at him as she loved the joke.:

As they went to enjoy the lavishing breakfast Gemma's parents have prepared for them, far off in the realm of evil there stood Redda's castle that towered over the terrain as its malicious presence added to the devastated landscape before it. It had been nearly a year since the great battle for both worlds and the remains from the battle from the withered trees and broken bits of the ground scattered around where Redda faced off against the Mon Colle Knights and their friends, it was eeriely silent that you only heard the howling of the passing wind whistle on through. Yet it wasn't all silent for within the castle walls, there were banners in the throne room where Redda once resided that beared his red mask and a serpent circle embedded outside of the insigma. Candles flickered as the sound a punch echoed in the room as Shade fell toward the ground, holding his cheek in pain as he was grabbed by the neck by a bulky looking demon.

?: You have failed me, Shade. You demolished two towns in the Earth Realm, yet upon the third town-YOU were attacked by a Red Mage and a Guardian?

?: He must be making this up! Red Mages are rare to come by, only a handful have ever surfaced in our time!

?: And as for the guardians, their just an old bedtime story that mothers' tell to their children of great heroes who wielded the realms' very essence to stop the darkness from swallowing up Monworld.

Shade: AaAAHHhhh...eing choked slowly by the bulky demon as he grasped onto his fist as he turned his head toward the voices.: I-I speak the truth...I saw them with my own eyes! The Foolish mage-her name was Gemma Everhart and the Guardian...the one who defeated me and my Beastie...s-s-s-s-she proclaimed herself...to be..The Guardian of Light...

?: And what did this Guardian of Light...looked like?:He raised an eyebrow to Shade as he was curious to the guardian's appearance.:

Shade: A pesky little girl! Pink hair, blue eyes! Wore a ridiculous ensemble before changing into a more funny-looking outfit that made her look like some princess knight! And her wooden sword turned into an actual sword...Gaspppp~!:He gasped for air as he felt the grip getting tighter on his neck.:

Resting on a demonic throne, a shadowy figure sat as he listened to every word Shade was telling him and his comrades. He had a muscular physique that he just about fit just right in the throne chair as he appeared to be more human than demon, yet his eyes were as yellow as a topaz and slit-looking that weren't human-like at all. His outfit just screamed "Evil Overlord" from the way he had a over jacket coat that looked very devilish right down to his black jeans and shoes to match it.

?: Pink hair and blue eyes you say? Did she have a name?:He asked calmly to Shade as his eyes never left his sight.:

Shade: D-d-d-diamond...the pesky mage called her...Diamond.

?: :He raised his hand up to the bulky demon.: Gnasher. Release him.

Gnasher: But boss...:He turned as he wasn't sure of his boss's command.:

?: I SAID Release him!:He glared angrily at Gnasher as his eyes shined a little.: Or would you like me to cut that arm clean off to release him that way!

Gnasher: Uh!:He had nervous sweatdrops before releasing his grip as he watched Shade fall to the ground.:

Shade: Cough! Cough! Cough!:He rubbed his neck softly as he glared up at Gnasher.: Almost cracked my neck there, you big oaf!

?: Now then, you said this girl is named Diamond and she is this guardian you speak of?:He got up from his throne as he walked carefully to Shade, hands behind his back as he looked down upon him once he was a few feet in front of him.:

Shade: :He looked up before he got down on his knees as if bowing on the very dirt his boss walked on.: Yes! Yes! She transformed right before my eyes, yet when she spoke-it was as if someone was talking through her before she sent me flying-literally!

?: I see...that entity that spoke through her was most likely the Spirit of Light whose chosen a champion at last. It would seem that the Realms' Entities are growing concern about my plans and have chosen their guardians to combat what I have cooking. They can sense it in the air that the balance is in peril and that the border between this world and the next will soon be taken down.

?: They must know that you plan to reopen the gate between the worlds in order to unlock the Seventh Realm, my liege. Just as your master tried to almost a year ago.

?: Yes, my dear master Redda. You nearly succeeded in your grand scheme to control the Time Master and transform the world into your own image.:He turned to an old worn out painting of Redda as it had a cut across the body of the portrait.: You almost did were it not for Gabriolus and those pesky knights. And now a monkey wrench is thrown into the works of my own plan.

?: Do you wish for me to go kill her, my liege? If I knew that brat was a guardian, I would of cleaned her dry were it not for her stupid Sword!

?: No, Nosferu. The girl is part of my plan along with her mother who possesses the very thing we need in order to stabalize the realms once we get our hands on the monster items.

Ignatius: Yet the two of them are in different locations of the Earth Realm and are on the move as we speak. How will we be able to track them down?

?: We observe where the girl is headed. If a chick is separated from its mother, it would look for her or the mother look for her. So by tailing the girl, we'll find exactly where they'll be and catch them in one foul swoop.

Shade: Heh! I see so by sending a spy to keep track of the girl's activities, we learn where she's heading.

?: Exactly...Shade. I'll give you another chance to redeem yourself. I want you to follow the girl and the mage to see where their going, report their activities and any important facts you stumble across-Let me know immediately. I hate to lose such a valuable warrior as yourself.

Shade: Ah...t-t-t-thank you, sir!:He bowed his head several times before getting up before saluting to him.: I won't let you down! I'll tail the girl to the ends of the Earth if I have to!:He transformed into his shadow form before zipping off to begin his mission.:

Ignatius: Sire, are you sure it is wise to put our trust in that bumbling oaf. He should hang his head in shame to have lost against a red mage, but a budding guardian who just awoke her powers.

?: Shade maybe an oaf, but his shadow power can be very useful to us. Of course I do wish he'd use that power more wisely to find out where we can obtain the monster items.

Nosferu: Heh! I'd do a better job tracking the monster items than that necromancing blade swinger can.:He crossed his arms before he spat in his opposite direction.: He gives creatures like us a bad rap to not use the full potential of his powers.

?: Yes and if a fool can't realize the full length of his potential, then what use is a fool if he can't use such potential.:He got back to his throne as he brushed back his bangs as he smirked at his subordinates.: I wonder though about the girl. Will she be able to tap into her full potential now realizing the responsibilities that befall her or will she stumble and fall? Quite the fascination to my curiousity. Well now little guardian-now that you've got this so-called power, how will your journey continue forth not knowing what awaits you?:He began to chuckle before letting out a devilish laugh that rang through the room.: Muwahahahahahhahah-HAHahhahahahah! AHHAAHAHAHAHHAH~...


End file.
